Ricardo Pepi sparks United States men’s national soccer team’s win over Honduras in World Cup qualifier
and we all know how that went – the Americans are now tied with Panama and Canada with five points, two behind Mexico.
“He did a great job,” Berhalter said of Pepi, who is the second-youngest U.S. man to play in a World Cup qualifier after Christian Pulisic. “He worked tirelessly, competed against physical centerbacks and scored a really good goal. Overall, I think a strong performance for an 18 year old.
“It’s really impressive what he did.”
Especially given the stakes.
The last goal in the 4-1 win over Honduras, by Sebastian Lletget in stoppage time, moved the Americans ahead of Panama in goal differential. That’s no small thing, because only the top three Concacaf teams earn spots at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, while the fourth-place team goes to a playoff.
Qualifying resumes next month.
Berhalter can downplay the USMNT’s struggles all he wants and give everyone a calendar listing the remaining 11 qualifiers. But it’s naïve to say the Americans wouldn’t have been out of qualifying had they lost to Honduras.
Maybe not mathematically. But the U.S. saw four years ago just how quickly things can snowball. And that when you put yourself in a hole, it’s not simply about digging yourself out. You’re also at the mercy of everyone else.
one of which was at home — the much-hyped “golden generation” was reeling. This was a must-win game for confidence and cohesion, if nothing else.
Yet the Americans looked as bad as they have at any point in these first three games in the first half. Lackluster, disorganized, downright inept at times. If the Americans turned the ball over once, they did it 20 times – and then never had an answer for Honduras’ counter attack.
Weston McKennie was sent back to Italy early after violating the team’s COVID protocols.scored the winner in the MLS All-Star game.
Pepi was eligible to play for both the USMNT and Mexico, and only announced his choice two weeks ago. But he played with the poise and confidence of someone who has been with the team for years.
“(Berhalter) told me to go out there and do my thing,” Pepi said. “I feel like he gave me a lot of confidence to just go out there. He had the confidence in me, so I just went out there and did my thing.”
Pepi was solid in the first half – one of the few Americans who could say that. But he really came alive in the second.
It was his disruption in front of the goal that cleared the way for Antonee Robinson’s right-footed shot in the 48th. Pepi pulled a defender off, giving Robinson a wide-open shot.