Ricardo Pepi has been one of the minimal bright spots in the FC Groningen squad this season, and although the American forward has done everything he has to keep the Dutch club in the Eredivisie, that dream ended on Sunday.
Pepi scored his 12th Eredivisie goal of the season in FC Groningen’s 1-1 draw with Go Ahead Eagles. Although the former FC Dallas man has continued to enjoy a career-year in Europe, the result officially relegated FC Groningen with three matches to play this season.
Pepi’s left-footed strike in the sixth minute boosted FC Groningen in front 1-0 as he finished off Oliver Antman’s cross into the center of the Go Ahead Eagles net.
Willum Willumsson’s 30th minute equalizer pulled Go Ahead Eagles level and put real worry into the FC Groningen squad albeit with over an hour to play.
Tomas Suslov’s first half effort was all FC Groningen could truly create as the Go Ahead Eagles defense stood firm and walked away with one point.
FC Groningen’s unbeaten run extended to eight matches as the Dutch club now prepares to play in the Eerste Divisie for the first time since 2000.
Pepi’s loan spell from FC Augsburg is set to conclude later this month with growing interest in the USMNT forward this summer. The 20-year-old has accounted for 12 of FC Groningen’s 29 league goals to date while also contributing one goal in a 3-0 KNVB Cup win last October.
FC Groningen faces Ajax, Vitesse Arnhem, and Sparta Rotterdam in its final three matches of the league campaign.
He’s on loan so I’d guess Groningen has no ability to keep him, and I doubt Augsburg would want a loanee in the Dutch 2nd division.
He’ll face better competition staying at Gronigen then going to the U20 WC. I would want him somewhere he knows he’s playing and will be able to score goals, not at a relegation bound club that fights to survive every league game.
He’d miss two games for Groningen. A team who has been bad all season and will have nothing to play for not sure he’ll get much out of those two and may not even play since his time there is essentially done. I do really doubt this would happen.
This might sound crazy but why not bring him to U20 WC. Groningen doesn’t need him, for Augsburg it’s another chance to get him in front of clubs who might want to buy him. It’s not unlike Weah 4 yes ago who used a good U20 WC to book a deal with Lille. I hadn’t really thought about it until they mentioned it on scuffed last week.
Nah. He is beyond the U20’s. He has already been scouted heavily by many teams this season and when he was with Dallas. Playing in a u20 WC isn’t going to boost his chances. He should play at the Nations league and then focus on either getting a transfer or loan or start preseason with Augsburg.
Weah had just played a half season with Celtic including 1 or 2 Europa League, a handful of appearances for PSG, and had started for NT. Is Pepi farther ahead probably, but he’s also got a 20 million dollar price tag minimum for Augsburg to break even. Realistically unless the US makes the final he could play both. Rumors probably from the Pepi camp is he does not want to go back to Augsburg so is he going to have more eyes at U20 WC or NL? Like Weah he’d have to want to do it. Is it crazier than sending a 16 or 17 yr old that’s never played against players that age? France in the friendly had 3 regulars from Ligue1 (including a guy with 13g) 1 from Bundesliga, 1 from La Liga, 3 from Championship or Ligue2. I question if those guys will all be released for WC but still.
I think anytime a player does well in a WC, even a youth WC, it gains attention. I think Sargent’s performance in 2 youth WC’s is how he got into German football originally. Pepi scores a few goals in the U20’s and he will get more suitors, almost guaranteed.
Sargent wasn’t playing first team soccer anywhere that’s a big difference. Pepi has been playing first team soccer since he was 17.
I see no reason for Pepi to play in a u20 WC, but hey if he wants to go then sure that would be great.
It’s really up to Augsburg. Effectively, they’d need to cancel the loan (doubt Groningen would object given its just dead wages at this point). Then they’d need to decide whether the upside of putting Pepi in the shop window for a u-20 WC is worth the risk if injury etc. And heck they just might, given how far behind his current valuation is vs their expenditure. And it doesn’t seem he is part of their plans.
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As for Pepi himself, I’d think he should seriously consider the idea. He has made no secret of how much he wants out of Augsburg. A strong tournament would go a long way towards this.
I don’t think this will happen, it probably makes too much sense. If you’re Pepi you’ve got to also weigh “do you want to miss NL, another chance to prove you’re ready to lead the line with Balogun on the horizon?”
Pepi did that in only half a season, too. He was probably a field too far for him (at age 19) when he was with Augsburg but there’s no doubt the Eredevesie is a good notch above MLS…and he’s emerging as a dominant striker at this level.
I’d personally like to see him get a full year in the Eredevesie before going back to a Top-5 league. He needs to be playing and the Dutch and Portuguese leagues are that nice next-tier level that’s better than MLS but not quite as demanding as one of the Top-5 leagues. Of course, that means he’ll need to leave Groningen, too, which I do think is almost without question going to happen.
I don’t want him back at Augsburg. Their style is just…grim and it’s obvious they had no interest in developing Pepi…which does beg the question why they bought him to begin with.
Eredivisie a good notch above? Don’t know about that. Ajax, Feyenoord, PSV yes but the rest not really.