When Gregg Berhalter released his World Cup roster last fall, many observers — including this very website — counted Jordan Pefok among the biggest snubs.
The Union Berlin striker was off to a hot start in the Bundesliga, tallying four goals and three assists by the time the roster was released.
Though many were quick to suggest Berhalter had made a mistake, one person thought the coach was totally justified: Pefok’s own mother.
Though he says his mom “knows nothing about football,” Pefok adds that she knew enough to look at his U.S. national team stats and conclude he hadn’t done enough to warrant inclusion.
“[Berhalter] called me and told me that he was not going to call me up for the World Cup. The first two days, it was tough,” Pefok told ESPN. “Then I spoke to my mum. She knows nothing about football. She asked me: ‘Are you sick?’ No. ‘Are your brothers and sisters sick?’ No. ‘Am I sick?’ No. ‘Do you have money issues?’ No. ‘So what’s the issue then?’ It put everything in context and perspective then.
“I sat down, I was still cross, but she was right. She added: ‘I know nothing about football but I know that you went with the national team and you only scored one goal. Even if I was the national team head coach, I would not have called you up! A goal scorer has to score goals, that’s all.’ She was brutal. The disappointment went away and I started working hard again to make sure that I play at the 2026 World Cup at home. I will prepare well and do everything I can with Union to make sure that I am there in 2026.”
Pefok, who was most recently called up in March 2022, has scored one USMNT goal in nine appearances. For a women who doesn’t know anything about the game, Pefok’s mom does know a subpar strike rate when she sees one.
Hopefully Pefok at least reminded his mom that of his nine caps, only two of them were starts.
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