If we clinch tonight you 100% can't play anyone on a card. I personally view Pepi as 1B so I'd probably roll the dice and start him vs Turkey even if they win tonight and we need a result next game. In that scenario you could still bring Balogun off the bench if we need a goal late, but I wouldn't start him.
You just described what I posted in one of the last matchdays of PSV that after watching him a few full matches I doubted if he would be a good choice for the striker position of the USMNT, because he completely disappears. He still can prove this opinion wrong with at least two USA matches to go.
187 - Ricardo Pepi and Folarin Balogun have been on the pitch together for 187 total minutes in their #USMNT careers, with the U.S. scoring five goals in those minutes.Sample. pic.twitter.com/Rg1ZaTqsuj— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) June 19, 2026
I don’t see why we give him additional minutes. Guy has had opportunities and we aren’t getting goals. People trash Sargent with the crap opportunities he had over the years but Pepi is similar for me. Play Balo and insert Aaronson.
So Balogun's yellow card will be wiped clean for the next round only if he plays against Turkey? Or it will happen regardless? I'm still not clear on this policy.
I think Pepi did a lot of unsung work occupying their center backs which really helped Balo be the menace he was. With Balo on a yellow card, no way he or anyone else with a card plays against Turkey. So Pepi should start.
The US have won the group. There's no reason to play anyone currently on a yellow. 2 yellows in the group stage result in a suspension the next match. But a single yellow in the group stage is wiped from the accumulator. The same applies to the next group of 3 matches, i.e., Rnd32, Rnd16, and Quarterfinals.
There isn't a chance in hell Balo plays the next game nor anybody else sitting on a yellow. Zero and you could bet your house on that.
It will be wiped clean, period. However, if he plays and gets a yellow against Turkey, he is suspended for the round of 32.
Yeah, playing a bit of a power forward banging against burly defenders is outside his comfort zone, and he at least fulfilled the tactical assignment of keeping them pinned to that the team had some space to work with, though you'd like more incisiveness. I'd say it's a 'Cs get degrees' performance. He was excellent against a Senegal team that came out to play a bit more. He's likely to play against Turkiye, so we'll see if he can repeat it in an actual WC game (I was about to say 'a game that matters' but uh, technically it doesn't). Though I think that game's likely to be tough for us given how many changes we're likely to make.
That’s the right call. But we also need to make sure everyone understands there is nothing that will happen in the Turkey match that will be worth risking a red card over. Nothing at all. If anyone of note gets a yellow they gotta come out immediately.
I always thought the answer is "yes". If the defender had managed to not clumsily clear it into the goal, Pepi almost certainly would have done it for him.
or you can look at it even more simply- if the cb didnt have to account for pepis positioning he wouldnt be so far (horizontally) into his own goal frame and it would have been a simple clearance. its ridiculous these things have to be explained.
Former USMNT manager Bob Bradley says Ricardo Pepi was "isolated" vs. Türkiye 😬"I'm not making excuses for Pepi ... but when he's up there by himself when their line's a little bit higher, that's not his strength."@RobStoneONFOX | #USMNT pic.twitter.com/TTGKJ4Rb4R— FanDuel (@FanDuel) June 26, 2026
From Fox Sports, some speculation on how Balogun might be replaced vs. Belgium: Pepi does not need that type of chemistry. He is more of a classic striker who reads the game in the box, knows how to get into dangerous spots, and is far more of an aerial threat than Balogun. But the reason why Pepi might get the nod was that his best performance for the U.S. team came just before the tournament in a 3-2 win over Senegal. In that game, Pepi did not score, but he combined very well with Pulisic in counter-attacks after turnovers. The U.S. team won’t be able to play the same exact way with Pepi in place of Balogun. But they get someone who can combine better in the build-up and will be a good finisher in the box. The Senegal game just before the tournament gives the best insight into how the team will play without Balogun. Expect Pochettino to mimic the Senegal game plan but with key players like Tillman and McKennie available (neither started in that game). https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/usmnt-world-cup-usmnt-balogun-red-card-who-could-replace