Ricardo Pepi earned a rare Eredivisie start on Saturday at Willem II and walked away as Man of the Match for the reigning league champions.
Pepi scored twice for Peter Bosz’s squad in a 2-0 road triumph on Saturday. The U.S. men’s national team forward entered the match with only one goal to his name so far but added to his tally with a pair of second-half goals.
After a goal-less first half, Pepi broke the deadlock right after the interval. His header from Joey Veerman’s cross nestled into the bottom-right corner for a 1-0 PSV advantage.
Pepi doubled his tally and PSV’s lead in the 64th minute by slotting home Rick Karsdorp’s pass for a 2-0 lead.
The 21-year-old went the distance, winning three duels, making one interception, and scoring on two of his three efforts on target. It marked Pepi’s first multi-goal performance at club level since October 2022.
With new USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino beginning his reign this October, Pepi will be fighting for opportunities at the No. 9 position.
Pepi and PSV resume UEFA Champions League play on Tuesday against Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon.
