Ricardo Pepi has been waiting, and he'll likely get his opportunity against Jamaica in Nations League quarterfinals
ORLANDO, Fla. – In the lead-up to the 2022 World Cup, the U.S. men's national team didn't have a set striker. There was no starting No. 9. Ricardo Pepi, who many believed had the potential to be the "guy," was left at home when the tournament kicked off. Instead, Jesus Ferreira, Josh Sargent and Haji Wright rotated in and out. Consider that only Wright scored out of the group, in limited action, it was an issue that largely went largely unsolved.
Now, two years later, that race is still in a state of flux. Unlike 2022, though, it isn't that there's a lack of strikers making their case; it's that there are too many. There are multiple players scoring at a high level in Europe, offering new coach Mauricio Pochettino options. There are different styles at play, too, which provides flexibility to the USMNT boss.
But, as the U.S. prepares to take on Jamaica in a must-win CONCACAF Nations League tie, that flexibility is gone. Those options aren't there. Due to a series of injuries, the goalscoring responsibility looks like it'll fall right back to Pepi, a player who has been fighting to earn an opportunity like this for some time.
"I'm at a point in my career right now where I'm ready," Pepi said. "I'm ready to start, to get more playing time. I feel like I've been showing that, whether with my club or national team. That's just how I'm feeling. I'm feeling ready to be the man, to be the starter. I feel like I've been proving that. I'll continue with the same mentality and continue to take advantage of my opportunities."
Folarin Balogun is out. Josh Sargent is, too. Injuries have dramatically shaken up the USMNT striker pool. This is an rare opportunity to be the "guy" up top for Pepi, but the upcoming games for Jamaica also present an opportunity for Brandon Vazquez to showcase that he deserves to be in mix for minutes at striker as well.
Here is a look at what both men could potentially gain from the upcoming Nations League quarterfinals…
GettyPepi's post-World Cup fight
At the time of the 2022 World Cup roster announcement, Pepi was very much in the rebuilding phase. He'd just endured a nightmare six-month stint at Augsburg and was now on loan at Groningen. In September 2022, he scored his first Groningen goal against Sparta Rotterdam, breaking a nearly-year-long goalscoring drought.
As a striker, you can't go a year without scoring and expect much. Pepi, ultimately, paid the price. He wasn't called into the World Cup squad, and that scoring drought was the big reason.
In the two years since, Pepi has rediscovered the form that made him the most expensive American export in MLS history at $11 million. His move to PSV hasn't always produced starting minutes, but it has produced plenty of goals. Despite being a supersub, Pepi has made his impact, scoring in major games both in the Eredivisie and Champions League.
"To be honest, it's been a long year and a half of being patient on the bench, waiting to play 10-15 minutes every weekend," Pepi says. "It got a little frustrating, but at the same time, I know that I have to be patient with the process."
After scoring seven Eredivisie goals in just 459 minutes last season, Pepi has six in 420 minutes this season. It's an unreal strike rate, one that would earn Pepi more chances if Luuk de Jong wasn't killing it in front of him, too.
"The things that he's gone through as a professional have been very challenging," USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner said of Pepi, "and for him to have the mentality that he still has…It's easy to just be like, 'The cards are stacked against me and I'm going to shy away from it because it's just not happening for me'. But no, he's continued to knock down barriers, knock down the door, score a Champions League goal, if I'm not mistaken, and things like that. He's grown a lot, and he's a really crucial player to our national team."
Pepi's goals have earned him his place with the USMNT and, with both Sargent and Balogun both out, these matches against Jamaica will give him the chance he's been working towards earning since 2022.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportA real chance
Despite his goals on the club level, Pepi has largely remained a supersub on the national team level. Balogun has been the starter since he committed in Spring 2023. Last camp, Sargent, who has often been struck by the injury bug, started over Pepi against Panama. Pepi returned to PSV after an injury, which means he didn't have a chance to build on the goal he scored against .
Since the 2022 World Cup, Pepi has started just four USMNT matches. He's also scored eight USMNT goals during that span. It's a wild return that hasn't yet been rewarded with a legitimate chance at starting games.
"Yet" is the key word there. Pepi will likely start in both games against Jamaica. And it's in moments like this a striker proves his worth, particularly when there's a new coach presiding over a team.
Getty ImagesPochettino's thoughts
Mauricio Pochettino is still very new to the USMNT. This is just his second camp in charge, his third and fourth games. Players are still in the auditioning process, although that process won't go on for long given the short run-up to the 2026 World Cup.
It's still hard to really grasp how Pochettino will use his strikers, largely because he's hardly had them. Balogun was injured last camp, which means he will have to wait until the spring of 2025 to play under the new coach. Sargent got two games but is now missing this round of games after another injury. By the end of this camp, Pepi will almost certainly have played the most minutes out of the striker group under Pochettino, largely by default.
“It’s true these types of injuries have opened opportunities for other players to get more minutes,” Pochettino said. “It’s a great opportunity for him to get the opportunity to play and show his talent.
He added, “Of course, we’re disappointed with Haji, Sargent and Balogun injured and can’t be in the squad, but it’s a chance for him and Brandon Vazquez to fight for their spot on their team.”
He added: "Pepi is a fantastic player, but it's more about potential. Now is a great opportunity for him to trust and show the possibility to play and show his talent. We are going to be very, very, very tough with him to try to make him to learn quick, and realize the thing that [he] need[s] to prove in other areas."
Getty ImagesThe Vazquez effect
Although Pepi is favored to get the start against Jamaica, this is an important set of matches for Vazquez, too. If the U.S.'s match against Mexico last month is any indication, he'll have a part to play.
With the USMNT struggling to do much of anything against , Vazquez came off the bench to provide some life to the attack. In just 27 minutes, he fired off three shots, created a chance and had five touches in the opposing box. Sargent, by comparison, had zero in his 63 minutes. It was exactly what you'd want from a substitute striker: a impactful spark.
So, with that said, what role will Vazquez play this camp? As things stand, likely a supersub role. At this level, Vazquez is a perfect change of pace, whether your team is winning or losing. When winning, his physicality and energy can help a team find control as opponents bomb forward. When losing, he's a good change-of-pace option, someone who can win physical duels and, as he's shown in Monterrey, where he's scored can also bang in goals.
As Jamaica get potential fatigued over the course of a match, Vazquez is the perfect change-up. Stylistically, he brings something different than Pepi, which can either help the U.S. see out a game or fight back in one if the do get ahead.
