Ricardo Pepi’s latest goal is a reminder of his talent, and the USMNT’s striker depth

AUSTIN, Texas — For much of this year, the chattering classes around the U.S. men’s soccer team have flocked to Folarin Balogun as the team’s next savior at striker. Understandably so, given his pedigree and potential as an attacking star.

But Balogun isn’t the only good striker on the depth chart, and Thursday’s Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal opener against Trinidad and Tobago was a reminder. Ricardo Pepi delivered the breakthrough in the Americans’ 3-0 win, striking in the 82nd minute to end the Soca Warriors’ resistance.

It was Pepi’s 10th goal in 21 games for his country, and his seventh of the year — and, notably, his fifth off the bench. The last of those stats set a new U.S. men’s program record for a single calendar year.

It also came not long after the one-year anniversary of the most infamous low point of Pepi’s rise to prominence: his omission from last year’s World Cup squad.

» READ MORE: USMNT labors to 3-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago in Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal opener

“To be honest, I’ve worked really hard for this opportunity and for these moments,” Pepi said. “The mentality is what’s fueled me so far, and I’ve just got to assume my role. And if coming off the bench is my role, then I’m going to assume it.”

You can rehash U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter’s choice not to take Pepi to Qatar as much as you want. From here, it’s a waste of time at this point, and not just because it’s in the past. What matters more now is how Pepi has come back from it.

The El Paso, Texas, native has worked his tail off to regain playing time under Berhalter while making a new club home at the Netherlands’ PSV Eindhoven. And he’s still just 20 years old.

“I talked to Gregg before subbing on, and he was just like, ‘Yo, just get in the box; get in good positions to score,’” Pepi said. “And my mentality coming off the bench was being able to help the team and scoring a goal.”

There’s no more straightforward mission than that, but there’s also none more difficult.

“He’s shown it early and often this year that the disappointment is in the past,” Berhalter said. “All he’s doing is everything he can do. All he does is when he gets the opportunity, he takes advantage of it. … For us, he’s established himself as a guy that’s hard to take out because he keeps performing.”

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It was notable that Pepi played in a two-striker setup with Balogun, instead of the lone striker role he usually plays. With star wingers Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah injured, and knowing that Trinidad would bunker in defensively, Berhalter deployed a 4-2-2-2 formation instead of his usual 4-3-3, with a lot of firepower in that front six.

Balogun and Kevin Paredes were the starting front pair, with Gio Reyna and Malik Tillman in free attacking roles behind them and Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah as backstops.

Did it work? Not really, if we’re honest. At least not for a long while.

Even with a man advantage after Trinidad midfielder Noah Powder’s 38th-minute red card, the U.S. squad produced a lot of shots, but none on target until the 53rd minute. Tillman in particular didn’t seem suited for the setup.

Only in the second half did the U.S. really step on the gas pedal harder. More improvement came when Berhalter made his only substitutions of the night, sending in Brenden Aaronson and Pepi for Tillman and Paredes in the 66th minute.

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“There were a few clips at halftime that we saw where we just had no occupation in the penalty box — it was only ‘Balo’ against three guys,” Berhalter said. “There were spaces on the side of their three [midfielders] that we’d be free to cross the ball, but we had a ring of players outside the penalty box and none of them inside.”

You don’t have to be a tactics savant to know that’s not how to play winning soccer.

That said, credit is due for trying a different tactical setup for once, in a game where the U.S. reasonably felt coming in it could get away with doing so.

“I feel like as a team we have a lot of flexibility,” Pepi said. “We have a lot of talent in the group, and I feel like that’s most important — we’re able to adapt to a lot of the situations, and that’s the most important thing.”

How much does one goal against a lowly regional opponent matter? In the moment, it mattered quite a bit, since a game the U.S. had no business losing was scoreless. In the longer term, it mattered because the Nations League quarterfinals double as qualifying for next year’s Copa América, which the U.S. is guest-hosting but not getting an automatic berth for.

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It would be nice if the U.S. didn’t have to qualify, but there’s a benefit to having to do so. Because the Americans do qualify automatically for the 2026 men’s World Cup they’re co-hosting with Canada and Mexico, there aren’t many games with real stakes until then.

Nor are there many chances for high-profile friendlies like last month’s hosting of Germany and Ghana, because the rest of the world has its own business to tend to.

On those grounds, a little heat was welcome. So was a sign that for the first time in years, the U.S. program has serious striker depth. Balogun and Pepi are on this squad, Jordan Pefok has found form in Europe again but missed this squad because of injury, and Brandon Vazquez could cross the pond this winter after another strong season with FC Cincinnati — as Union fans know too well.

That’s the best kind of problem to have as the Copa América’s big stage draws closer on the horizon.

» READ MORE: A look back at when Ricardo Pepi first broke through with the USMNT two years ago