Free Pefok? Debating the World Cup credentials of U.S. strikers

Jonathan Tannenwald: I’m on the record as saying that I think Jordan Pefok is the best pure finisher in the U.S. men’s national team striker pool. Gregg Berhalter is on the record as saying Pefok was in “major consideration” for this month’s camp, and the coaching staff is “pretty confident we know what Jordan can do.”

But Berhalter also told ESPN on Sunday: “There probably will be an opportunity for guys that aren’t in this camp, just because of attrition, and that’s something we’re expecting to happen. We hope it doesn’t, but it’s likely with what happened in the past that it will.”

A few hours before Berhalter did that ESPN interview, Pefok scored his fourth goal of the season for his club, Germany’s Union Berlin. This prompted Union’s Twitter admin to tweet a waving-hello emoji at the USMNT’s account, and of course that tweet went viral.

Then on Tuesday, the Bundesliga posted a piece on its English-language site about Pefok’s hot streak, with the eye-catching headline: “Jordan: Why the Union Berlin striker deserves to front the USMNT attack at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.” And there was a tweet with it that said “You’d be crazy to leave him behind.”

For readers wondering, Pefok wears “Jordan” on his jersey and goes by “Pefok,” his mother’s maiden name, in the media because that’s what he asked for. His full name is Theoson-Jordan Siebatcheu. The piece used some of Berhalter’s recent quotes, and included this quote from Pefok: “Why shouldn’t performances at the highest level in club football be reflected in the national team?”

As I said earlier, I’m on the record about the situation. What do you all think about it, and how do you see it playing out?

Gustav Elvin: Free Pefok! As Jon said, Pefok has been in scintillating form and not naming him to the World Cup squad would be negligent by Gregg Berhalter. He has three goals and two assists in six starts for a team that currently sits atop the Bundesliga and last season bagged 27 goals in 45 appearances for Swiss giants Young Boys. In a striker pool that has been marked by wild inconsistency, Pefok has consistently scored goals when others haven’t. What else honestly does Gregg want him to do?

Pefok not being on the roster for these friendlies will also only give further credence to the ‘Gregg plays his favorites’ crowd. Berhalter seems to want Ricardo Pepi on this roster whether he deserves it or not and it looks as if that might cost Pefok a deserved spot on the plane to Qatar.

Kerith Gabriel: If Jordan Morris makes the roster over Pefok it’ll be more than soccer Twitter that’s on fire.

And that’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility, I don’t think. After all, Berhalter also thinks the World Cup kits are classy.

» READ MORE: Nike, U.S. Soccer completely missed the net in its latest release of World Cup kits

Tannenwald: I don’t think it will come down to Morris vs. Pefok. But I think it could come down to Pepi vs. Pefok.

And as for the kits. . . Berhalter is a company man.

Gus, I don’t doubt Berhalter wants Pepi to make it. As a number of commentators have said in recent days, Pepi might have saved Berhalter’s job with the goals in Honduras. But do we think there’s any chance this month is to give Pepi one last shot, then if he doesn’t score, drop him for Pefok?

Elvin: That is absolutely in the realm of possibility but my argument would be more, does Pepi even deserve this call-up/shot given his club form. Pefok hasn’t been given many chances, at least as a starter, with the national team and his club form merits him being in this camp. If Pepi scores a goal or two this window against Japan or Saudi Arabia does that mean Pefok should stay home, especially when he didn’t even have a chance to come in and compete? It promises to be an anxious few months for both strikers.

Tannenwald: That’s definitely one of the questions. Then again, it’s a slippery slope. There have been enough times in the last two years where Christian Pulisic’s form at Chelsea has been a big issue, and he’s come into the national team and lit it up. Had Pepi not had the assist and goal in his first games at Gronigen in the Netherlands, right before coming to the national team, the chorus would be even louder.

If Pepi plays in these two upcoming U.S. games and flubs them, I’m sure Berhalter will get an earful.

Andrea Canales: If it’s about scintillating scoring form, I’m for Berhalter bringing in Alejandro Zendejas from Club America. Yes, I know he’s more of a scoring winger, but heck, Jesús Ferreira was a midfielder not long ago, and now he’s Berhalter’s striking favorite, no?

There are always questionable roster choices that are linked to coaching preferences and while I’m already raising a skeptical eyebrow at Pefok not getting a chance, I wouldn’t put his absence on the outrage level of say, Jurgen Klinsmann leaving Landon Donovan off the USA roster in 2014.

» READ MORE: Who should make the U.S. men’s national team roster for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar? Our writers predict who’s in and who’s out.

This to me is more along the lines of Brian Ching not getting a minute of play in 2006 under Bruce Arena -- why roster a striker then not trust that player enough to see the field at all?

Honestly, what strikes me most about the Pefok situation is both his club and league riding hard for his national team cause. That’s unusual and yet so direct, that it seems a shot across the bow of U.S. Soccer from outside entities, as if the entire federation is on notice to do the right thing by their guy. Seems the days when coaches, especially from the U.S., could keep their favorites hanging on with little merit and without pushback are done.

Tannenwald: I think we’d all agree that’s no bad thing. And look at you stirring the pot on Zendejas, Andrea. That conflagration would be even bigger than the Pefok one in some quarters, especially the ones close to the Rio Grande.

Elvin: Where do we see Josh Sargent fit in at the moment? He obviously has found goal scoring form in the English Championship with Norwich (six goals in 10 game) and a few years ago, he was viewed as the great hope for the U.S. striker pool.

Tannenwald: It would be something if the answer at striker was the one it was supposed to be all along. If he scores a goal or two this month and keeps playing well at Norwich, I can definitely see him starting against Wales.

By the way, local soccer fans might remember that Sargent scored his first senior U.S. goal at Subaru Park. It was in May 2018, a few months after he moved to Europe to start his pro career with Germany’s Werder Bremen.

Elvin: Maybe Sargent’s case shines a light on the idea that the whole Pepi/Pefok will play itself before November. Sargent seemed to have played himself completely out of the mix over the last 18 months but his turn of form this season with the Canaries has helped him climb right back into a strong position in Berhalter’s eyes.

The U.S. does have the luxury of having a few forwards scoring regularly for their clubs at the moment, something we couldn’t have said at points last year. Now, we will see if the ones scoring are the ones that get selected for Qatar!