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Haji Wright, a key player for the U.S. Men's National Team, discusses the growing tension as the FIFA World Cup approaches. He aims to secure a spot on the roster after a successful season with Coventry City.
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Haji Wright is hoping to make the U.S. Men's National Team's FIFA World Cup roster this summer -Credit:Eston Parker/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images
(Eston Parker/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Still riding high off Coventry Cityâs promotion to the Premier League under the guidance of Chelsea icon Frank Lampard, the Sky Bluesâ forward and U.S. Menâs National Team star Haji Wright has opened up on promotion and the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
The EFL Championshipâs second-highest goal scorer this season, with 16 in 37 games to date, Wright was named to the leagueâs Team of the Season along with teammates Milan van Ewijk and Matt Grimes.
âIt's electric,â Wright said of the vibe around Coventry after securing promotion in an interview with CBS Sports Golazo. âI mean, fans have been waiting for this for the last 25 years.
Haji Wright is the second-highest goal scorer in the EFL Championship with 16 goals in 37 games and was named to the league's Team of the Season.
Haji Wright is focusing on his performance with Coventry City and hopes to secure a place on the U.S. Men's National Team roster for the World Cup.
Coventry City is coached by Frank Lampard, and under his guidance, Haji Wright has excelled, contributing significantly to the team's promotion to the Premier League.
The tension reflects the pressure and anticipation players feel as they aim to perform well and secure their spots on the national team ahead of the World Cup.

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Wright has played a pivotal role in helping Frank Lampard's Coventry City secure Premier League promotion -Credit:George Wood/Getty Images
âSo, obviously, a lot of excitement around the city. Everything's been painted sky blue for a while now with this being on the cusp for a while for us. But, yeah, it's amazing to finally get it over the line.â
But while Wright has had to remain focused on the task at hand in England, looming overhead is the prospect of potentially being named to Mauricio Pochettinoâs World Cup roster, which would see him play on home soil in the joint U.S./Mexico/Canada-based tournament.
âIt's tough to go away, mid-season with the international breaks in September, October, and November,â he said of balancing the domestic season with the upcoming World Cup.
âYou kind of just try and take it for what it is. You focus on the club when you're here and then when you go away to the national team, you try and give your best there so that you can give a good profile of yourself and hopefully be chosen for the next camp.â
Looking ahead to the tournament, safe in the knowledge that Coventryâs fate is secured for next season, Wright admitted the World Cup will be âsuper important for our country and for soccer in our country.â
He added, âThe tension is starting to build a bit with it not being so far away. So yeah, I want to be a part of the group. It's no secret. I want to be there, and I want to be able to represent my country and do the best I can.â
Along with Wright, numerous other English-based players will be hoping to make the final roster, including the likes of Fulhamâs Antonee Robinson, Crystal Palaceâs Chris Richards, AFC Bournemouthâs Tyler Adams, and Middlesbrough's Aidan Morris.
Asked if there was any form of group chat for all the Americanâs currently playing their trades in the English soccer pyramid, Wright said not, although, âWe're good friends, obviously. I have all of their shirts. So I have [Daryl Dikeâs] shirt, I have [Patrick Agyemangâs] shirt. I have Aidanâs shirt.
âI'm really good friends with Aidan and so yeah, when we get a chance to see each other, we'll speak after the game. We spoke after the last game in Coventry, but there's no group chat or anything.â
While all of the aforementioned Premier League players are likely to make the final roster, and Morris also seems to have a solid chance given his recent minutes for the USMNT, Agyemangâs hopes came to a brutal end when he suffered an Achilles injury earlier this month. The Derby County star, who had impressed in his first season in England, is set to miss around nine months after undergoing surgery.