Category: Americans Abroad

Jordan Pefok is doing his best to make Gregg Berhalter re-think his plans

The recent USMNT snub just keeps on scoring goals in Germany

Jordan Pefok is clearly determined to make Gregg Berhalter’s job as hard as possible.

Just days after USMNT head coach Berhalter omitted Pefok from his latest roster, the Union Berlin forward continued his fantastic start to life in the Bundesliga with a goal against Wolfsburg.

The 26-year-old opened the scoring on Sunday with a glancing header, his third Bundesliga goal of the season and his fourth in all competitions.

Union Berlin would go on to win the match 2-0, in the process reclaiming first place in the Bundesliga. It was enough to give the team’s social media admin some justifiable fuel for a cheeky nod at the forward’s recent USMNT snub.

Berhalter has been adamant that the door isn’t closed on players who didn’t make his roster for September’s friendlies against Japan and Saudi Arabia, the final squad he will name before his 26-man World Cup roster.

Asked about Pefok specifically, the USMNT coach said: “We’re pretty confident we know Jordan’s profile, we know what he can do. And we didn’t feel like we needed to see him in this camp to determine whether he can be on the [World Cup] roster or not.”

Berhalter also made an appearance at halftime of ESPN’s broadcast of the Portland Timbers vs. Columbus Crew on Sunday, and was asked again about Pefok following his goal against Wolfsburg.

The USMNT coach didn’t sound like someone ready to reconsider the striker, instead saying his only path to a World Cup spot would likely be through injury to another player.

“When guys get in camp, there will probably be five players that were expected to be on the roster that couldn’t take part because of injury,” Berhalter said.

“So what I would say is that there probably will be an opportunity for guys that aren’t in this camp just because of attrition. And that’s something we’re expecting to happen. We hope it doesn’t, but it’s likely based on what’s happened in the past.”

Watch Pefok’s goal vs. Wolfsburg

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Cameron Carter-Vickers to miss USMNT September friendlies

Berhalter is now dealing with a fifth injury-related absentee

Cameron Carter-Vickers is the latest player to end up unavailable for the upcoming U.S. men’s national team friendlies against Japan and Saudi Arabia.

The Celtic center back was on Gregg Berhalter’s initial roster, but will not participate in the USMNT’s September friendlies after picking up an as-yet-unspecified injury in training.

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglu told the Daily Record early on Sunday that the 24-year-old would likely miss the USMNT camp, and that they hoped to have him available coming out of the international break.

“We’ll see how he is. I think he’s out of the US camp,” said Postecoglu. “We are hoping, post-international break, he won’t be too far away.”

Speaking at halftime of ESPN‘s broadcast of the Columbus Crew hosting the Portland Timbers, Berhalter confirmed that Carter-Vickers would not participate in friendlies against Japan (September 23 in Dusseldorf) and Saudi Arabia (September 27 in Murcia).

“Cam will be out of this camp, which is unfortunate,” said Berhalter. “We wanted to get him in and get him around the group this camp, but unfortunately he won’t be in. We are working on a replacement as we speak.”

Carter-Vickers is the latest USMNT player to end up unavailable in this window. Antonee Robinson and Tim Weah are both dealing with ankle sprains, though both players are believed to be close to a return. Zack Steffen was supposed to be out in order to rest and overcome a knee injury, but started for Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Berhalter then called in Internacional midfielder Johnny Cardoso as a replacement for Yunus Musah, who picked up what Valencia has said is a minor groin injury after the initial roster was announced.

Who will Berhalter call in to replace Carter-Vickers?

There was no immediate announcement of the USMNT’s choice to replace Carter-Vickers, but it stands to reason that Berhalter will add a center back to a squad that is currently down to just three (Aaron Long, Chris Richards, and Walker Zimmerman) rather than boosting numbers at a different position.

Mark McKenzie and Erik Palmer-Brown feel like the leading candidates at this point. While McKenzie has been in and out of Genk’s lineup so far this season, he has more of a history under Berhalter. However, Palmer-Brown has started every game for Troyes in Ligue 1, which may be enough to see him push ahead in what is probably a last chance to stake a claim on a World Cup spot for both players.

Berhalter also mentioned Matt Miazga as someone he’s been monitoring after announcing his squad, meaning the FC Cincinnati man is also a candidate here. While Berhalter also mentioned Fulham captain Tim Ream, it came with a note about how the style of play Ream does well in is not a good mesh with the USMNT’s system. A similar situation is likely to keep John Brooks out of the reckoning, even after the USMNT veteran sealed a move to Benfica.

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Ricardo Pepi scores first goal with Groningen, breaks 345-day scoreless run

Major relief for worried USMNT fans, and for Pepi himself

The long wait is finally over for Ricardo Pepi.

345 days after his last goal, the U.S. men’s national team was on the scoresheet Saturday as FC Groningen fell 2-1 at Sparta Rotterdam.

Three days after USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter showed his faith in the young striker by picking him over several more prolific options, Pepi put Groningen ahead in the 61st minute, capping off a well-worked move with a header to give his new club a temporary lead. Sparta would go on to win thanks to late goals from Sven Mijnans and Vito van Crooij.

Just after the hour mark in a scoreless game, Groningen tried to attack Sparta’s left side, but found no easy inroads. Checking for different options, Tomáš Suslov dropped off the front line before an ambitious switch of play to the opposite touchline, picking out Isak Dybvik Määttä.

As Dybvik Määttä sized up a cross, Pepi’s run came possibly too early, with the 19-year-old arriving at the near post before the cross was struck. However, with his man giving him a yard, Pepi rose up unchallenged as Dybvik Määttä’s service arrived, nodding the ball down past goalkeeper Youri Schoonderwaldt.

Pepi’s last goal in a competitive game anywhere came back on October 7, 2021, when he scored a brace against Jamaica for the USMNT in World Cup qualifying. Pepi went scoreless in the next two qualifiers in that window, his final four MLS appearances, and then the final three qualifiers of the year.

Pepi then made his big move to Augsburg, but things didn’t pan out. He went scoreless in 11 appearances in the Bundesliga, as well as four more USMNT qualifiers and a January friendly. Summer came and went, and the break didn’t end Pepi’s torment in front of goal. He appeared in four more Bundesliga matches, as well as a blowout win in the DFB Pokal, but still had no goals.

Finally, Augsburg reached a deal to send him on loan to Groningen, and things started to look up immediately. Pepi got an assist in his first appearance in the Netherlands, helping his new club to a 1-0 win, and ended his scoreless drought six days later.

For the USMNT, seeing Pepi find the back of the net before their upcoming September friendlies has to be considered a huge positive. Berhalter’s faith in Pepi is clear, but it would still be a very difficult job to lift a striker’s confidence after that many scoreless months going into the World Cup. Getting that weight off his shoulders should do Pepi a world of good.

Watch Pepi break his scoreless run with his first Groningen goal

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Fulham coach Marco Silva has some good Antonee Robinson injury news

The left back has started all six of the Fulham’s Premier League matches

U.S. men’s national team fans can breathe a sigh of relief after Fulham head coach Marco Silva provided some good news on Antonee Robinson’s ankle injury.

The severity of the left back’s injury has not been clear since he was forced out of Fulham’s match against Tottenham on September 3.

Robinson was left off the USMNT roster for this month’s friendlies, with head coach Gregg Berhalter admitting this week: “We’re not sure exactly when he’s going to be back in training.”

But, speaking ahead of Fulham’s match against Nottingham Forest on Friday, Silva said that Robinson was closing in on a return.

“It will be difficult, I have to be honest,” Silva said of Robinson’s participation in the Forest match.

“But we have some more hours until the game and we have to check him, like we have been doing every single day, to take the decision.

“It’s not really serious, and because of that we are testing every day how he feels.

“It’s something that could be one or two days, [that’s] the feedback that I received from the medical staff.

“We need to check again because he doesn’t feel really comfortable yet, but I think soon we will have Robinson again.”

Robinson has been an ever-present for Fulham so far in 2022-23, starting all six of the team’s Premier League matches.

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It looks like Johnny Cardoso is getting a USMNT call to replace Yunus Musah

Cardoso has been capped three times by the USMNT, most recently in December 2021

It appears that Johnny Cardoso of Brazilian side Internacional will get a U.S. men’s national team call-up to replace the injured Yunus Musah for the team’s upcoming friendlies.

Musah was part of a 26-player roster for the USMNT’s final two World Cup tune-ups against Japan and Saudi Arabia, set for September 23 and 27.

But the Valencia midfielder has picked up a knock, as revealed by his head coach Gennaro Gattuso at a press conference on Friday.

“He has a little discomfort. It is not a big thing. He has not trained today,” the coach said. “I have to talk to the doctor after the press conference because he has a small injury. I don’t know if he will be able to play in the game [vs. Celta Vigo on Saturday], but he has not trained today.

“Musah will not be going [to USMNT camp] either if his small problem is confirmed.”

The Athletic said that a Valencia spokesperson confirmed Musah would not be joining up with the USMNT for the team’s friendlies.

Musah’s replacement appears to be Cardoso, according to a report from Brazil as well as MLSsoccer.com

When speaking to the media after naming his roster this week, U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter praised the 20-year-old, saying he nearly made the cut originally.

“At center mid Johnny Cardoso is playing every week in Brazil, and we like what he’s doing, his team’s doing really well,” Berhalter said.

Cardoso has made three appearances for the USMNT, all of which have come in friendlies. The most recent cap for Cardoso was a friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina in December 2021.

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Sergiño Dest wants to stay at AC Milan for the long haul

The Italian champions have a €20 million purchase option on the USMNT fullback

Sergiño Dest has expressed his desire to stay at AC Milan beyond his one-year loan deal with the Italian champions.

Dest completed a loan move from Barcelona on deadline day, with Milan holding an option to purchase the fullback at the end of the season for a reported €20 million.

The U.S. international has made a pair of Champions League appearances off the bench for Milan, and is still waiting to make his Serie A debut. On Friday, he was presented to the media and spoke of his desire to convince Milan to activate the purchase option on his deal.

“I will give 100 percent and show that at the end of the season Milan should decide to keep me. The only thing I can do now is to give my best,” Dest said.

“I think I’m a versatile defender, who can play left and right. I think my best position is as a fullback, but with attacking characteristics. Then the manager will decide.”

Dest added that he feels his style is well suited to how Milan coach Stefano Pioli wants to play.

“Pioli’s game is very good, he can allow me to develop my game in the best possible way,” Dest said. “This season can be an opportunity for me to help the team, developing both my attacking and defensive characteristics.”

Given how Xavi froze him out at Barcelona, Dest’s best bet moving forward may be to convince Milan by the end of the season that he’s worth €20m.

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Pulisic on his FIFA 23 rating: ‘Pace and dribbling very happy, everything else is horrible!’

As Kai Havertz said: “73 [passing rating] looks like you can’t even pass the ball five meters!”

Count Christian Pulisic among the lengthy list of players who participate in the cherished annual tradition of griping about their FIFA ratings.

EA Sports has begun to unveil its player ratings for the upcoming FIFA 23, which will be released on September 20.

On Monday the top 23 men’s players in the game were revealed, as five players shared the top spot with a 91 overall rating.

Pulisic, along with Chelsea teammates Kai Havertz and Ruben Loftus-Cheek participated in a video posted on Chelsea’s YouTube page in which they discussed various elements of Chelsea’s ratings in the game.

When it came time to be presented with their full ratings, Pulisic was nonplussed.

Looking at his card he said with a laugh: “Right here looks great: pace and dribbling [I’m] very happy, everything else is actually horrible!”

Havertz added: “73 [passing rating] looks like you can’t even pass the ball five meters!”

Loftus-Cheek also chimed in: “Who’s the guy who does this? Is he a Tottenham fan?”

Pulisic was given a strong 87 rating for pace and an 86 for dribbling, but he was given 71 for shooting, 37 for defense, 73 for passing and 59 for physicality, with an overall rating of 82.

At least Pulisic wasn’t alone in feeling aggrieved in his rating.

Haverz said of his own ratings: “Pace is not fair, shooting is really not fair and passing also.”

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Ricardo Pepi admits he struggled to adapt to life in Germany

“A different country, a different culture and a different competition. It was honestly a lot at the same time”

Ricardo Pepi has opened up on his struggles to adapt to the Bundesliga and life in Germany after his move to Augsburg in January.

Augsburg broke its club record when it shelled out $20 million to sign Pepi from FC Dallas, but the U.S. national team striker endured a difficult spell in Germany.

Pepi failed to register a single goal or assist for Augsburg, and jumped at the chance to move on loan to Dutch side Groningen last month.

For Pepi, moving to a new country where he didn’t speak the language and adjusting to one of the world’s top leagues at age 18 was a lot to handle.

“It was quite a tough time. A different country, a different culture and a different competition. It was honestly a lot at the same time,” Pepi told Voetbal International.

Pepi faced an uphill battle for playing time with Augsburg this season, and believed his adaptation to the European game would be slowed if he couldn’t play regularly.

“My feeling was that I could only adapt to the European way of playing football by playing a lot somewhere,” the 19-year-old said. “That probably wasn’t going to happen in Germany yet.”

Pepi registered his first goal involvement in Europe on his Groningen debut, tallying an assist on Sunday. But he still appears to face long odds for a World Cup berth with the USMNT as his goal drought approaches a full year.

The striker has not given up on a berth on the World Cup roster, however, saying that making the squad for Qatar was another major reason behind his move to the Eredivisie.

“I really want to be there,” Pepi said of the World Cup. “The national team coach has said that it is important that I play a lot.”

Asked what his goal is for the upcoming months and Pepi was clear: “Play a lot and score for FC Groningen and go to the World Cup. That is the plan.”

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The Americans Abroad Five: Gio Reyna is back — now please stay healthy

Edin Terzić’s slow and steady approach to reintegrating the USMNT star is being vindicated

The Americans Abroad contingent was significantly reduced this week as English and Scottish leagues paused to mark the Queen’s death.

But there were still plenty of noteworthy performances, led by the return to form of a player who can be a difference-maker in Qatar if he’s fit: Gio Reyna.

There were also some significant moments for three players squarely on the bubble for the World Cup roster, as well as a potential new lease on life for one of the USMNT’s biggest stars.

Let’s get to the Five.

Mia Fishel scored a banger from deep in another Tigres Femenil win

The striker’s latest goal for Tigres was an absolute banger

Mia Fishel is still on fire for Tigres Femenil, and her latest goal was an absolute banger.

The USWNT hopeful scored in stoppage time against San Luis, unleashing a rocket from long range to give her side a 4-1 lead.

The game was nearly over at that point, but Fishel still found time to add a cheeky assist for Stephany Mayor to complete a 5-1 victory.

Fishel’s goal took her to nine in 11 games for Tigres this season, following a debut campaign that saw her score eight goals in the regular season and four in the playoffs.

Though the UCLA product has been in strong form since opting to join Tigres this January, she seems to be some distance from a USWNT call-up.

“There are a lot of players in NWSL that are performing as good or maybe better than Mia,” USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski said last month.

Fishel may not get a U.S. call anytime soon, but she really can’t do much more than she currently is in Liga MX Femenil.

Watch Fishel’s goal vs. San Luis

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