Ricardo Pepi thread

Donovan got all the affirmation he would ever need when Wondo blasted the USAs only chance to win against Belgium over the bar

 

And that is not as bad as Klinsmann openly rooting for Germany to win the WC before group play. Which means if they did, it would make our jobs of advancing much tougher. We needed to be the best of 3, instead of top 2 of 4. Which we managed, but that's besides the point.

This doesn't even factor in Klinsmann's exclusion of Donovan out of ego. If not for that, maybe we wouldn't have been DOA once we hit the group stage. Donovan was still the best 1-man wrecking crew we had. Basically won Jurgen the GC all by himself. A year after the WC, as good as Dempsey was, as a team we still managed to be an abomination to USS.

It seems certain posters have double standards or downright projections in this regard if it suits members of their tribe.

 

Pepi in his last match (3-1 loss) was rated a very good 7.5!

 

Groningen down 1-2 at 86'. Come on Pepi! Groningen are surely going down, but don't go easy. Fight till the end.

 

Booth started for Utrecht but subbed out at 41'

 

It takes two to tango. Pepi's played well. But the manager's gameplan to send so many long balls to him when he's mediocre at best in the air is questionable. And when they try to play on the ground, there's almost always someone screwing up before it gets to him or after he's set them up. Twice in this game they've blown good shooting opportunities. And countless times they've not passed to him when he found a gap in the defense. In the times he's actually gotten on the ball he's done well. He's a class above his teammates. And he's pressed Utrecht into a myriad of errors. So he is fighting.

Groningen are the most incompetent side I've seen an American play striker on in Europe. There's the biggest gap between what you'd think a competent pro would do in the situation, and what happens in actuality.

 

I haven't watched them but if they're worse than Bremen with Sargent or Schalke with McKennie and then Hoppe I don't want to watch. A fan can only take so much torture.

 

They're certainly far worse, if you don't factor in the strength of opposition. All the teams you mentioned were filled with players who were legit pros by a wide margin. They were just competing in top 4 leagues. They were good Championship & 2 BL level players.

This is like watching a team with most USL/Eerste Divisie quality players competing against MLS/Eredivisie. The amount of amateurish things they do on the way to Pepi or after he receives it from them makes you want to pull your hair out.

Relative to the leagues they're in, I don't know. Maybe Schalke were worse for Hoppe, or Hull when Jozy was there. They're definitely not better than Bremen. I thought it was over-played how bad they were to protect our boy's rep.

 

My memory of Bremen was players in position to make a pass to a player in a great spot to score would launch a long, horrible shot. It wasn't one player but seemingly every player. When I was coaching little kids I'd make them give me five pushups for that crap. Be funny if a coach at that level did the same to embarrass them into team play.

 

Pepi always has the right attitude, from welcoming Balogun's competition to refusing to utter Gregg's name...

"He's going to make me better, I'm going to make him better."

"He's a player who had a good season. I'm a player whose had a good season. We both want the starting spot."

Ricardo Pepi on Folarin Balogun and the #9 spot. #USMNT
🎥 @ussoccer, via @sluggahjells pic.twitter.com/wcTOJwgCuh

— The Whole Delivery (@TWDTV1) June 7, 2023

 

Romano is now on this train. (Tren?) Would love this next step up the ladder for Ricardo. Better than Crystal Palace, which has been another rumor this week. [As folks will remember, Earnie Stewart is now at PSV.]

On the same day PSV are said to be very close to a manager (Bosz), this comes out.

Coincidence? https://t.co/C4Yxwb4K7P

— Daniel (@DanielSmith1022) June 8, 2023

 

Why better than Crystal Palace?

 

even if that were true, the competition is entirely different

 

Dempsey blew as good a chance.

 

PSV would guarantee Pepi European competition too, damn cool.

 

Nah, Wondo's was set up on a silver platter, kind of an easier version of the goal Altidore assisted Bradley on against Slovenia. Dempsey's chance was compromised a bit by too much pace on the ball from Bradley, and a poor touch from Dempsey which put it a touch too far in front of him. I just wish Wondo was never in that kind of position in the first place. Should have gotten more legit run in friendlies, more minutes in his caps to acclimate to the level, and regardless, its brutal that a career decades long gets frozen framed on that moment. Just brutal, but it is what it is. Baggio is remembered the same way if at all outside of Italy I imagine.

 

The poor first touch is part of the blowing.

 

I would say that Dempsey's chance that he scuffed at the end of the tricky set piece was actually the better one.

 

Not a crazy thought.

 

Easier to blame Wondo than Dempsey of course.

 

True, but when you score a bunch of big goals for your country, you're forgiven the occasional miss. Wondo didn't have that track record.

 

So pepi, wondo, dempsey…?

 

Understood. Part of the reason it was easier to blame Wondo. That and his MLS only resume.

 

Its not that I don't like Palace.
I just think PSV is a good intermediate step after Groningen. Top of Eredevisie plus European competition.
If he succeeds there, THEN go to the big-time.

 

Oh, just to add to my above comment. Its more likely that a Prem Club would meet the reported asking price than a dutch club.
Cuz..................that's not what the PSV/Feyenoord typically spend.

For reference:
-Feyenoord have never spent more than 7.4 million on any player ever.
-PSV have changed their model and haven’t “splashed” as much since the Covid shutdown. Most they’ve spent is 7.7 mil on Philip Max (who is leaving for 1.9 mil).

— Daniel (@DanielSmith1022) June 9, 2023