USMNT Stock Watch: Ricardo Pepi strikes first after international window
By Doug McIntyre
FOX Sports Soccer Writer
Editor's Note: "Plane to Qatar" is FOX Sports' weekly feature tracking the progress of players hoping to crack the United States Men's National Team's 26-player roster for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
We think we know that United States coach Gregg Berhalter will take three strikers to Qatar.
We think we know that Jesús Ferreira will be one of them. For the math wizards out there, that leaves just two open spots, with at least three center forwards — Ricardo Pepi, Jordan Pefok and Josh Sargent — vying for some of the last seats left On the Plane.
The competition up top will be fierce over the next five weeks. It could even come down the final slate of club games before Berhalter names his squad on Nov. 9. Last week, Pefok had a ticket in hand in this space despite not being invited to the September camp mainly because Ferreira, Pepi, Sargent and every other American failed to score in the USMNT's World Cup send-off games against Japan and Saudi Arabia.
But now Pepi is beginning to find his feet in the Netherlands, with goals in each of his last two games. All things being even, Berhalter seems to prefer the teenager over Pefok, who happens to be coming off his worst game of the Bundesliga season, and a fourth striker, Haji Wright. As for Sargent, recipient of his first call-up in a year last month, he has now gone three games without scoring in England's second tier, equaling his longest drought of the season.
There still enough time for things to change, though. They probably will. It will be fascinating to watch which players catch fire or cool off over the next month or so.
Who knows how it will all shake out?
First class
F/M Brenden Aaronson (Leeds): Aaronson played 79 minutes Saturday in a scoreless tie with Aston Villa.
M Tyler Adams (Leeds): Easily the U.S. starter in the best club from right now, defensive midfielder Adams was named Leeds' man of the match.
D Sergiño Dest (AC Milan): Dest came off the bench Saturday at halftime of Milan's 2-1 loss to Napoli. He still hasn't started a game for the club.
F Jesús Ferreira (Dallas): Following the USMNT's final World Cup tune-up, Ferreira traveled the 5,200 miles between Murcia, Spain and Dallas, then went the distance in Colorado three days later as FCD lost 1-0 to the Rapids.
M Weston McKennie (Juventus): Not only did McKennie keep his lineup spot despite Juve's terrible start to the season, he rewarded coach Max Allegri faith with a pinpoint assist in Sunday's badly needed victory over Bologna.
*M Yunus Musah (Valencia): The 19-year-old returned to training on Monday but will have to wait at least another few days to return from the groin injury that forced him to withdraw from the USMNT's final pre-Cup camp. Valencia plays next on Friday at Osasuna.
F Christian Pulisic (Chelsea): Pulisic came off the bench and set up Connor Gallagher's 90th minute game winner over Crystal Palace on Saturday. Will it be enough to earn Pulisic his first start under new Blues boss Graham Potter in Wednesday's Champions League meeting with AC Milan?
*F/M Giovanni Reyna (Borussia Dortmund): The hamstring tweak Reyna suffered against the Saudis will keep him out at least until Der Klassiker on Saturday against Bayern Munich.
*D Antonee Robinson (Fulham): Jedi returned to training last week but didn't play in the Cottagers' 4-1 loss to Newcastle. Fulham visits London rival West Ham on Sunday.
F Tim Weah (Lille): Now recovered from the ankle problem that prevented him from playing for the USMNT last month, Weah was in uniform for (but didn't play in) Saturday's loss to Lorient.
D Walker Zimmerman (Nashville): After playing all 180 minutes for the U.S. last month, Zimmerman scored a 90th minute goal for Nashville Saturday in a 2-1 loss to Houston.
Comfort Plus
M Kellyn Acosta (LAFC): In his 27th start of the season, Acosta assisted on Carlos Vela's opener Sunday as LAFC clinched the MLS Supporters Shield.
M Paul Arriola (Dallas): The winger was suspended Saturday after picking up a red card in FCD's previous match.
*D Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic): The hard-nosed center back missed Celtic's first game after the break, and he's also been ruled out of Wednesday's Champions League match against RB Leipzig.
*D Reggie Cannon (Boavista): The groin strain Cannon suffered against Japan is expected to keep him sidelined for at least another week.
M Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo): De la Torre logged the final 21 minutes of Sunday's 1-0 victory over 10-man Real Betis – his longest appearance of the season so far.
G Sean Johnson (New York City): Johnson and the Pigeons will get to defend their MLS title after qualifying for the playoffs over the weekend. Another deep run would all but cement the veteran's World Cup spot.
D Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls): After he started both U.S. friendlies during the international break, Red Bulls coach Gerhard Struber rested Long for Saturday's 2-1 loss in Columbus.
M Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders): Morris started against Sporting Kansas City on Sunday but couldn't prevent a Sounders loss that snapped a streak of 13 straight playoff berths for Seattle. He'll now be idle between Oct. 9 and the Americans' World Cup opener on Nov. 20 – assuming that layoff doesn't cost him the trip to Qatar.
^F Ricardo Pepi (Groningen): Still just 19, Pepi on Saturday scored his second goal in as many Eredivise games:
*D Chris Richards (Crystal Palace): The big center back wasn't healthy enough to dress for Palace against Chelsea, and his prospects for playing time whenever he returns aren't great. Long considered a lock, it's beginning to look like Richards could be running out of time to make the World Cup cut over competitors who are actually playing.
F Josh Sargent (Norwich City): Sargent went the full 90 Tuesday but was held scoreless in Norwich's 1-1 draw with Reading.
D Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach): Also still 19, Scally followed his best national team showing yet with a dud for ‘Gladbach, who were pummeled 5-1 by Werder Bremen on Oct. 1.
G Zack Steffen (Middlesbrough): Steffen was beaten on a savable shot in Saturday's 1-0 loss to Coventry, but that's forgivable. This isn't:
It wasn't Steffen's first glaring unforced gaffe this season. The 27-year-old Manchester City loanee is a talented keeper who, on current form, is also a World Cup-ruining mistake waiting to happen right now.
G Matt Turner (Arsenal): The Gunners' No. 2 is expected to make his first home start for the club Thursday against Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt in the Europa League.
D DeAndre Yedlin (Miami): Veteran right back Yedlin has two huge games over the next week for Miami, which is right on the playoff bubble.
Standby list
M Johnny Cardoso (Internacional): The New Jersey-born, Brazil raised No. 8 went 63 minutes Saturday in a 1-0 win over Santos.
G Ethan Horvath (Luton Town): Horvath posted his third clean sheet of the season Sept. 30 against Hull City without having to make a save. He made one Tuesday in Luton's 3-3 tie with Huddersfield.
D Mark McKenzie (Genk): The center back continues to play regularly; McKenzie went 90 minutes Saturday for the seventh straight club match. Could he sneak onto the World Cup squad if Carter Vickers and/or Richards remain sidelined?
D Erik Palmer-Brown (Troyes): After watching the two September U.S. games from the bench, the center back played all of Troyes 2-2 draw with Reims in Ligue 1.
⌄F Jordan Pefok (Union Berlin): Pefok suffered through his first (and so far, only) poor performance for Union, which lost 2-0 to Eintracht in Frankfurt. Germany's co-leader next plays Thursday at Sweden's Malmo in the Europa League.
M Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders): Out for five weeks following groin surgery, Roldan returned for Seattle's last two games. But like Morris, missing the playoffs hurts his chances – perhaps even more than his club teammate.
M Malik Tillman (Rangers): Tillman started in Tuesday's Champions League match against Liverpool, but once again his intensity didn't match Rangers' opponent. The 20-year-old was subbed in the second half with the Scots down 2-0.
D Sam Vines (Royal Antwerp): Left back Vines was subbed out for the first time this season Sunday as Belgian leader Antwerp suffered their first defeat of 2022-23.
F Haji Wright (Antalyaspor): Goalless in three games, Wright's next Turkish Süper Lig match comes Monday versus Konyaspor.
*Injured
^Bumped up
⌄Bumped down
Added: None
Dropped: None
One of the leading soccer journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
