- Southampton defeat Wrexham 2-1
- USMNT’s Downs records winning assist
- Striker’s tenure with Saints off to hot start
U.S. international Damion Downs recorded the game-winning assist on Saturday as Southampton defeated Wrexham 2-1 on the opening day of the English Championship.
Wrexham, in their Championship debut, opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the first half, but two late goals in quick succession secured all three points for the Saints. A 90th-minute free kick from Ryan Manning drew them level, and come the final minute of the match, they found the winner off the boot of captain Jack Stephens. A ball was driven across the six-yard box, and Downs managed to get the briefest of flick-ons to find Stephens, who smashed home in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
Downs, a 60th-minute substitution into the match, made an impact in his first competitive match for the club since his $10M transfer from FC Köln this offseason.
Downs earned his first caps with the USMNT this summer, featuring in the June international window and during the CONCACAF Gold Cup. He made five appearances for the U.S. across both windows, cap-tying him to the United States after being a dual-national with both Germany and the USA.
After the Gold Cup, he secured his transfer to England, following a breakout season in the 2. Bundesliga season with Köln, where he led the team in scoring and helped secure their promotion to the German top flight.
With Southampton, he’ll be pushing for a spot in the USMNT’s September roster under manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Southampton are back in action on Tuesday in the EFL Cup against Northampton. Matchday 2 of the Championship season will see them take on Ipswich next Sunday.
