Ricardo Pepi

Ricardo Pepi
Pepi in 2021
Personal information
Full name Ricardo Daniel Pepi[1]
Date of birth (2003-01-09) January 9, 2003 (age 21)
Place of birth El Paso, Texas, United States
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 PSV
Number 14
Youth career
2016–2019 FC Dallas
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2021 FC Dallas 55 (15)
2019–2020 → North Texas SC (loan) 13 (9)
2022–2023 FC Augsburg 15 (0)
2022–2023 → FC Groningen (loan) 29 (12)
2023– PSV 19 (6)
International career‡
2018–2019 United States U17 17 (6)
2021– United States 22 (10)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of February 24, 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of November 20, 2023

Ricardo Daniel Pepi (born January 9, 2003) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a striker for Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven and the United States national team.

Pepi had his breakthrough with Major League Soccer club FC Dallas and was named the MLS Young Player of the Year in 2021. In 2022 he joined Bundesliga club FC Augsburg and was later loaned to Eredivisie club FC Groningen, where he scored 12 goals in 29 league appearances. In 2023 he signed with PSV Eindhoven for €9 million ($9.8m).[2]

Born to Mexican-American ancestry, he represented the United States at the youth U17 level. He made his senior debut in 2021 and won the CONCACAF Nations League in 2023.[3] He won the U.S. Young Soccer Player of the Year award in 2021.

Early life

Pepi was born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in nearby San Elizario.[4] He has Mexican ancestry through his family who were from Mexico, with Pepi regularly crossing the border to neighboring Ciudad Juárez to visit family.[5] Pepi began playing recreational soccer when he was only four years old in local El Paso leagues.[6] He soon began playing competitive organized soccer for a club coached by his father, Daniel Pepi.[6] The club would soon become affiliated with Major League Soccer club FC Dallas, who scouted Pepi following the Copa Chivas tournament in 2016, offering the then 13-year old the opportunity to join the FC Dallas youth academy.[6]

In his first season, Pepi was put into the under-13 side and scored 18 goals in just 15 games, leading him to rise up the ranks within the club.[7] He was soon promoted to the under-17 side as a 15-year old, scoring 19 goals in eight matches.[7]

Club career

North Texas SC

On December 8, 2018, Pepi became the first signing for North Texas SC, the new affiliate club for FC Dallas in USL League One.[8] On March 30, 2019, Pepi made his professional debut in North Texas SC's first ever match, scoring a hat-trick in a 3–2 victory over the Chattanooga Red Wolves.[9] Following the match, North Texas SC head coach Eric Quill stated: "I'd like to say that it shocks me, but it doesn't shock me. He's been in unbelievable form in the preseason. Every game, he's growing. He's got such a hunger to score goals, that is rare. He can finish in any way."[10]

In the following match against Forward Madison, Pepi scored for the second match in a row deep into second half stoppage time to give North Texas SC the 1–0 home victory.[11] He was then called into the international under-17 squad. When he returned, Pepi scored again in his third game of the season against Lansing Ignite in a 2–2 draw.[12]

On October 12, 2019, Pepi returned to North Texas SC for the semifinals of the USL League One playoffs. He scored a brace for North Texas SC against Forward Madison in a 2–0 home victory, advancing the side to the final.[13] After the match, Pepi was called into the under-17 side, thus not being available for selection against Greenville Triumph in the final on October 19.[14] Despite his absence, North Texas SC proceeded to win the match 1–0 through Arturo Rodríguez, thus winning their first championship and giving Pepi his first trophy.[14] Pepi was named as a finalist for the USL Young Player of the Year on October 17, but lost out to Arturo Rodríguez.[15]

FC Dallas

On June 11, 2019, Pepi was loaned to North Texas SC parent club FC Dallas on a short-term loan ahead of their U.S. Open Cup match against OKC Energy.[16] The next day, Pepi made his competitive debut for FC Dallas against OKC Energy, starting in the 4–0 victory at Toyota Stadium.[17] He appeared again for FC Dallas in the next round on June 19, starting in the 2–1 defeat.[18]

On June 21, 2019, Pepi was signed by FC Dallas to a homegrown player deal, becoming the club's fourth youngest academy signing at 16 years and 163 days old.[19] The next day, on June 22, Pepi made his Major League Soccer debut, coming on as an 84th minute substitute in a 3–0 home victory over Toronto FC.[20] He finished his first season with FC Dallas with nine appearances and 0 goals.[21]

On March 7, 2020, Pepi scored his first professional goal for FC Dallas, a 96th-minute equalizer in a 2–2 draw against the Montreal Impact.[22] He scored his second goal of the season on September 9 in a 3–2 defeat away against Minnesota United.[23] On November 22, Pepi scored an equalizer for FC Dallas after trailing 1-0 in second-half stoppage time in the first round of the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs against the Portland Timbers. The match would eventually be decided in a penalty shootout, with Pepi converting his penalty in the lead up to FC Dallas advancing 8–7.[24]

2021 season

On April 17, Pepi made his first appearance of the 2021 season against the Colorado Rapids, coming on as an 81st minute substitute in the 0–0 draw.[25] In the next match on April 24, Pepi scored his first goal of the season, a consolation for FC Dallas in a 3–1 away defeat against the San Jose Earthquakes.[26] From that match on, Pepi would continue to feature as a regular starter for Luchi Gonzalez and on June 19, Pepi scored his second goal of the season against Minnesota United. His goal was an equalizer in a 1–1 draw.[27] He then scored both goals for FC Dallas in a 2–1 victory against the New England Revolution on June 27.[28]

On July 24, Pepi scored his first professional hat-trick in a 4–0 home victory against the LA Galaxy. The three goals in a single match made him the youngest player in Major League Soccer history to score a hat-trick.[29] A week later, on August 4, it was announced that Pepi was selected by Bob Bradley to participate in the 2021 MLS All-Star Game against the Liga MX All-Stars.[30] During the match on August 25, Pepi came on as a halftime substitute as the match ended 1–1 in regulation time, going into a penalty shootout.[31] During the shootout, Pepi scored the winning goal for the Major League Soccer All-Stars to give the league a 3–2 victory.[32]

In his next match, on August 29 against Austin FC, Pepi scored two goals for FC Dallas in a 5–3 away victory.[33]

FC Augsburg

On January 3, 2022, it was announced that Pepi had signed with FC Augsburg of the Bundesliga. The transfer fee was reported to be $20 million plus add-ons.[34] The move made him the most expensive American MLS player to sign for a European club, the most expensive transfer by Augsburg, and the second most expensive player to transfer from MLS to a European league.[35] He made his league debut for Augsburg on January 8, coming on in the 60th minute in a 3–1 defeat to Hoffenheim.[36]

Loan to FC Groningen

On September 1, 2022, it was announced that Pepi would go on a year-long loan to Eredivisie outfit FC Groningen for the duration of the 2022–23 season.[37] In his competitive debut for the club against Cambuur he tallied an assist on the game's only goal.[38] Pepi's hot start continued in the following match in which he broke an 11-month goal drought in a 2–1 defeat to Sparta Rotterdam. His most recent goal had come on October 7, 2021, in a 2–0 victory over Jamaica for the United States in World Cup qualifying, marking him just 20 days shy of a year without scoring a competitive goal.[39]

Following the September international break, Pepi notched his second goal in as many league games, scoring Groningen's only goal as they suffered a 4–1 defeat to AZ Alkmaar.[40] The following week he scored a brace in a 3–2 defeat to RKC Waalwijk, in the process becoming the first Eredivisie player in the 21st century to score or assist on five goals in his first four league games.[41] In a 3–0 victory over Excelsior on February 25, Pepi scored his tenth goal of his loan spell in just his 20th competitive game for Groningen.[42]

Despite playing for a relegation-threatened side, Pepi earned a spot on the official Eredivisie Team of the Month for February 2023 as the only outfield player not from league powerhouses Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord.[43]

PSV Eindhoven

On July 7, 2023, Pepi signed a five-year contract with PSV Eindhoven after the Dutch club agreed to pay $9.8 million to Augsburg for Pepi's transfer.[2] On November 29, 2023, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal, a 3–2 game winner in stoppage time against Sevilla, which qualified his club to the knockout phase.[44]

International career

Born in the United States, Pepi was eligible to play for both the United States and Mexico through his parents.[45] He had also previously attended training camps for both the United States under-17 and Mexico under-17 sides.[46] On April 22, 2019, Pepi was included in the United States under-17 squad by Raphaël Wicky for the CONCACAF U-17 Championship.[47] On May 12, Pepi scored his first international goal against Panama, followed by a brace against Canada to help the United States advance to the final.[48][49] In October 2019, Pepi was included again in the under-17 squad, this time for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.[50]

On August 26, 2021, manager Gregg Berhalter selected Pepi in the United States squad for 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.[51] On September 8, 2021, Pepi made his debut for the United States and scored the winning goal in a 4–1 away victory against Honduras. His goal was the second of the match, giving the United States a 2–1 lead.[52] He scored twice in his second match, a 2–0 qualifying win against Jamaica played in Austin, Texas.[53]

Despite the early success, Pepi was ultimately not called up to the team's 26-man 2022 World Cup roster.[54][55][56] In his first international match following the World Cup, Pepi scored his fourth and fifth international goals as part of a brace in a 7–1 Nations League victory over Grenada.[57] Four days later, he scored the game-winning goal against El Salvador to send the United States into the 2023 Nations League semifinals.[58] In the Nations League semifinal against Mexico, Pepi scored off the bench securing the 3–0 U.S. win.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played February 24, 2024[59][60]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
North Texas SC 2019 USL League One 12 9 — — 1[b] 2 13 11
2020 USL League One 1 0 — — — 1 0
Total 13 9 — — 1 2 14 11
FC Dallas (loan) 2019 MLS — 2 0 — — 2 0
FC Dallas 2019 MLS 7 0 — — — 7 0
2020 MLS 17 2 — — 2[c] 1 19 3
2021 MLS 31 13 — — — 31 13
Total 55 15 — — 2 1 57 16
FC Augsburg 2021–22 Bundesliga 11 0 — — — 11 0
2022–23 Bundesliga 4 0 1 0 — — 5 0
Total 15 0 1 0 — — 16 0
Groningen (loan) 2022–23 Eredivisie 29 12 2 1 — — 31 13
PSV 2023–24 Eredivisie 19 6 2 0 9[d] 2 1[e] 0 31 8
Career total 131 42 7 1 9 2 4 3 151 48
  1. ^ Includes U.S. Open Cup, DFB-Pokal and KNVB Cup
  2. ^ Appearance in USL League One Playoffs
  3. ^ Appearances in MLS Cup Playoffs
  4. ^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  5. ^ Appearance in Johan Cruyff Shield

International

As of match played November 20, 2023[59]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
United States 2021 7 3
2022 5 0
2023 10 7
Total 22 10
As of match played November 16, 2023. United States score listed first, score column indicates score after each Pepi goal.[59]
List of international goals scored by Ricardo Pepi
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 September 8, 2021 Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras 1  Honduras 2–1 4–1 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
2 October 7, 2021 Q2 Stadium, Austin, United States 2  Jamaica 1–0 2–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
3 2–0
4 March 24, 2023 Kirani James Athletic Stadium, St. George's, Grenada 13  Grenada 1–0 7–1 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League A
5 6–1
6 March 27, 2023 Exploria Stadium, Orlando, United States 14  El Salvador 1–0 1–0 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League A
7 June 15, 2023 Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, United States 15  Mexico 3–0 3–0 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals
8 September 9, 2023 CityPark, St. Louis, United States 17  Uzbekistan 2–0 3–0 Friendly
9 September 12, 2023 Allianz Field, Saint Paul, United States 18  Oman 3–0 4–0 Friendly
10 November 16, 2023 Q2 Stadium, Austin, United States 21  Trinidad and Tobago 1–0 3–0 2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League A quarter-finals

Honors

North Texas SC

PSV

United States

Individual

References

  1. ^ "FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019: List of Players: USA" (PDF). FIFA. October 31, 2019. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 27, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "PSV announce signing USMNT striker Pepi". ESPN.com. July 7, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "U.S. beats Canada to win Nations League as Balogun opens account". ESPN. June 18, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  4. ^ Bloomquist, Bret (June 21, 2019). "FC Dallas signs 16-year-old El Pasoan Ricardo Pepi". El Paso Times. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  5. ^ Becherano, Lizzy (August 27, 2021). "Ricardo Pepi pledges international allegiance to USMNT over Mexico". 90min. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
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  41. ^ "USMNT striker Ricardo Pepi scores 2 goals for Groningen to continue hot streak". espn.com. October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2022. He is also the first player this century to be directly involved in five goals in his first four Eredivisie matches, according to Opta, having also registered one assist.
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  59. ^ a b c Ricardo Pepi at Soccerway
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  61. ^ "Lang beslist duel met Feyenoord en bezorgt PSV veertiende Johan Cruijff Schaal" [Long decided duel with Feyenoord and gives PSV fourteenth Johan Cruijff Shield]. nos.nl (in Dutch). August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2023.

External links