PSV was staring a disappointing UEFA Champions League defeat in the face until Ricardo Pepi came off the bench to rescue one point for Peter Bosz’s squad.
Pepi delivered a 93rd minute equalizer in Greece as PSV tied Olympiakos 1-1 in UCL play on Tuesday. The American striker came off the bench and netted his fifth goal of the season in all competitions.
Gelson Martins boosted the Greek hosts in front 1-0 after 17 minutes, giving them a lead that they would hold until second-half stoppage time.
However, Pepi would have the final say in the match, finishing off a loose ball in the box for a late tying goal. A PSV free kick deflected towards Pepi’s direction and the former MLS product volleyed home the rebound for his third goal in his last four appearances.
Second-place PSV will resume Eredivisie play on Sunday against AZ Alkmaar before heading into the November international break.
Pepi will hope his name is on Mauricio Pochettino’s November USMNT roster ahead of friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay later this month.
Seriously you don’t know why he’s not starting? Nothing about his last 9 months rings a bell on why he isn’t playing 75-90 minutes every 3-4 days.
CONCACAF countries getting blown away at the U17 WC. Not a good look for CONCACAF. Mexico even lost their opening game.
I am seeing a bad trend. U20 team didnt overlap well with their outside backs and now this u 17 team is not creating overloads with their outside backs.
Cavan definitely stood out. His movement and intelligence with and without the ball is above the others.
1-0. Sullivan with the winner.
Segares tactics were meh. Both Berchimas and Albert had two or three guys surround them while zero overlap from the outside backs all game. Guimaraes literally played as another DM most of the game. Need overlapping to free Albert up more.
Im sure Cavan will get tye start next game. Carizo and Cavan as the two tens.
Also surprised not to see Chase Adams in the second half. Julian Hall was very average all game.
It’s the expanded format.
-One these Concacaf teams weren’t tested in qualifying. Like the US the teams that qualified had basically 2 to 3 walkovers and then one half way decent opponent. The other regions qualified thru full tournaments with knockouts.
-Two, you have countries that have never qualified for events like this before or rarely like Haiti and El Salvador. Many of these Concacaf kids have never been outside the region before, let alone traveling half way around the world.
-3rd although I don’t expect big turn around from Honduras, ES, or Haiti these are 17 yr olds there can be big swings from one match to the next. I mean the US lost to the Netherlands 2-1 then 3 days later lost 8-2 or something like that to the same team.
-4th Mexico appears to be in a fairly tough group.
I’ll have to watch the replay later, but do you think it’s a response to the South Africa U20 loss where the FBs were caught up field and we were beaten in transition. Gambled that our versatile attackers could break down their defense without risking counters? Plus I don’t think too many people rate Segares as an amazing manager.
A couple days ago Brendan Aaronson scored a goal for Leeds off a rebound in the penalty area – lets be honest, the goal box. The entire goal was open, but Aaronson kicked the ball right back at the keeper. The keeper was off balance and the ball squeezed through the keeper for a goal. Maybe a bit of luck, but boy, he could have hit it anywhere.
I saw the reply of Pepi’s goal last night. The ball bounced around in the penalty area – much further from goal that Aaronson’s – and to Pepi in the area, who was unmarked and with a good look at the goal. Pepi hit the ball well, but again almost straight to the keeper. The keeper was again off balance, maybe even with his view blocked, and the ball bounced in – maybe even off the keeper. I watched last night, and I have slept.
My points: First, I am glad to see both Yanks score in high level games. Second, neither was a work of art and both were a bit lucky as opposed to skilled.
In contrast, the goal scored by Weah in the last game day was pretty darn good and not reliant on a keeper being wrong footed. The rocket from Balugon last night was a scorcher and looked skilled based on the position he found himself. Those two goals were and are substantially different that Pepi’s and Aaronson’s.
“Luck as opposed to skill” on this one……lol, there is some truth to that. We’ll take whatever we can get, but in terms of BA’s goal against West Ham and this Pepi’s goal (because his goal against Fortuna Sittard was pure class) against Olympiakos………there is definitely some truth to that statement
MWR,
If we assume that all four goals represents that player’s “typical goal ” then the only things we can say for sure are:
1. Pepi scores his typical goal more frequently than the others score theirs.
2. You’re talking HOW, when the only thing that matters is “how many?”.
3. As far as I’m concerned ,you can never have too many gifted goal scorers but as long as three of these guys are in good health and form next summer, the USMNT will be okay.
Christian is not listed as a striker but is most likely going to be our leadng goal scorer
I don’t know why he is coming off the bench for PSV, but I guess that’s Peter Bosz prerogative. What an impact player for this team…….
Seriously you don’t know why he’s not starting? Nothing about his last 9 months rings a bell on why he isn’t playing 75-90 minutes every 3-4 days.
“I don’t know why he is coming off the bench for PSV,”
Because he scores when he comes off the bench.
I’m way too lazy to do the research but if you tracked every single PSV goal Pepi has ever scored, it seems like the vast majority of them have come when Ricardo comes off of the bench.
Is that because coming in later he knows he has only so much time to score? If he started would he lose that intensity and therefore score less? Or if he had twice as many minutes would he score twice as many goals? Or is it just that PSV plays a lot of crap teams and in the second half when Ricardo comes in the game is already over and Ricardo is just piling on?
I don’t know and since PSV has been very competitive the last few seasons the manager has little incentive to fuck around with that rarest of gifts , the knowledge that you have ace in the hole Pepi as your second half option. If I’m Pochettino I don’t start Pepi in a single WC game but I expect him to play in every one.
If you are going to tell me Pepi deserves to start I say deserves got nothing to do with it. Starting Pepi means you can’t bring him in off the bench to score. And the USMNT has no one else anywhere near as scary in terms of save the day goals.
When your favorite player DeJong was around it might have been interesting to flip their roles and see what happened but I’m not going to fault PSV for not fixing what wasn’t broke at the time.
2 goals and an assist in his last two Champions league appearances. He was active and dangerous with his 20 minutes.