SEATTLE — As the story goes, Ricardo Pepi hung up the phone on former U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter when he was informed he didn’t make the 2022 World Cup roster.
Less than four years later, Pepi was driving in the car with his father when he received a WhatsApp notification from Mauricio Pochettino. The message? He was part of the 26-man squad heading to this summer’s tournament on home soil.
“I showed it to him, and he immediately started crying a little bit,” said Pepi — who was coached by his dad when he was a kid — back in May ahead of the USA’s World Cup campaign.
“Being left off is obviously not nice, but [I’ve been] using that in a good way to be able to be in this World Cup. I felt like it helped me grow. It matured me a little bit. So it was part of the process.”
Ricardo Pepi will be the main candidate to start vs. Belgium (Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Pepi has appeared in all four of the USA’s World Cup games so far, starting two. He may get a massive opportunity on Monday against Belgium in the round of 16 matchup at Seattle Stadium due to starting striker Folarin Balogun’s suspension after being shown a controversial red card in last week’s resilient win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
There are a few different ways Pochettino could adjust his lineup to account for Balogun’s absence. The simplest option would be to keep the other 10 starters intact and plug in either Pepi or Haji Wright up top, even though each brings a different skill set. Or Pochettino could opt for a more creative tweak, similar to when he paired Pepi and Balogun together against Australia after Christian Pulisic was sidelined with a calf injury.
We won’t know Pochettino’s tactical approach until kickoff, but if Pepi gets the start, his teammates have full confidence in him.
Haji Wright is another option to start up top for th euSA. (Photo by John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images)
“His tenacity and energy has been unreal to be honest,” Tyler Adams told reporters ahead of training this week on the campus of the University of Washington. “I’ve played with Pepi quite a bit, but what he’s done against the ball has been huge for us and also for our wingers so they don’t have to do necessarily as much work. He’s holding the ball up really well and when he gets in front of goal, we know he can score.
“Obviously he hasn’t done it yet, but we know that he’s a good finisher in and around the goal.”
Pepi had a chance in the second half against Paraguay, but otherwise has struggled to make much of an impact this tournament. His recent club form, however, suggests that could change. The 23-year-old Texan is coming off a stellar season with PSV Eindhoven, helping the Dutch club win a third straight Eredivisie title. He scored 19 goals in 34 appearances across all competitions despite missing most of January and February with a broken arm. Before the injury, he had scored in six consecutive league matches.
Ricardo Pepi is still looking for his first World Cup goal. (Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
He regained his form after returning from injury, finishing the club season with six goals in his final five appearances. He carried that momentum into the Americans’ pre-tournament friendly against Senegal, and although he didn’t score, his chemistry with Pulisic was evident as he recorded an assist and helped spark the attack.
“Pepi is a killer,” Pochettino told reporters in May. “He’s a player that has the capacity to read where the space is to the ball, arrive to the ball, and have the possibility to score and to create chances, sometimes, from nowhere.”
And big European clubs have noticed. Earlier this year, for example, rumors swirled about a potential summer transfer to Fulham. It never materialized, but a strong performance against Belgium could reignite interest.
“His finishing is really good — he can be really important with his finishing for us,” Sergiño Dest, who plays with Pepi at PSV, said Saturday. “And also he’s comfortable playing. He played some great games already. He fits in the team well. He’s a different type of striker, but now, if he plays [against Belgium], it’s his chance to show what he’s capable of.”
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Losing your leading goalscorer during the knockout stage of a World Cup might sound like the worst-case scenario, but the Americans aren’t stressed. Pochettino has built the group to value the team over individuals, and it’s seeped into their identity.
“One man’s down, the next steps up,” defender Chris Richards said after the win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. “We’re more than just one player.”
Balogun, who spoke to the media on Friday, said he will do everything to support the team – and Pepi in particular if his name is called.
“Whatever he needs, whatever he needs,” Balogun said. “I’m not the sort of person who’s going to bombard you — I’m quite a reserved person in general — but whatever he needs. And not just him, but anyone in the team. They need any advice or anything in any way I can help. I’m more than happy to do that.
“I’ve always said the team comes first, so whether I’m out there or not, it will be no different.”
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