Scuffed | USMNT, World Cup, Yanks Abroad, futbol in America - #678: Ricardo Pepi joins the pod

Episode Date: March 31, 2026

Rico sat down with Sanjay at the team hotel in Atlanta. Discussed the potential move to Fulham, what it means representing the USA as a Mexican-American, and his favorite club and NT goals. Skip the ads! Subscribe to Scuffed on Patreon and get all episodes ad-free, plus any bonus episodes. Patrons at $5 a month or more also get access to Clip Notes, a video of key moments on the field we discuss on the show, plus all patrons get access to our private Discord server, live call-in shows, and the full catalog of historic recaps we've made: https://www.patreon.com/scuffedAlso, check out Boots on the Ground, our USWNT-focused spinoff podcast headed up by Tara and Vince. They are cooking over there, you can listen here: https://boots-on-the-ground.simplecast.comAnd check out our MERCH, baby. We have better stuff than you might think: https://www.scuffedhq.com/store Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to the scuff podcast when we talk about U.S. soccer. Welcome to the scuffed podcast. Sanjay here, and I'm joined by U.S. men's national team and PSV striker, Ricardo Pepi. Rico, thanks for coming on the pod. Thank you guys. Thank you guys for having me. So let's address what everyone's talking about. Obviously, a lot has happened with your potential transfer to Fulham. It's got to be frustrating in a way for you.

What's going through your mind with that? and does it feel like that's kind of hanging over you? Yeah, man, to be honest, you know, just looking back at the situation a little bit, something that, you know, in my head I'm just like, okay, if it happens and it happens, incredible. But at the end of the day, you know, I'm here with the national team. I got a season to finish with PSV, so I'm just really focused on, you know, where I am.

I take it day by day. Wherever you end up, it looks like the fee is going to be a lot, right? So do you feel like you're ready for the level of expectation that comes with that? Have you feel more pressure coming at this point in your career? No, to be honest, I feel like, you know, I've, you know, just looking back at the last three years that I've been with PSV, I feel like, you know, I have some incredible numbers and, you know, I've had good tees in.

So, you know, I'm ready for the next step. Of course, you know, just wherever I am, you know, if I stay with PSV is going to be, you know, it's a great club, it's a good family. So, you know, I'm really happy there. But, you know, it's also, you know, if something good comes by, then we're obviously going to take a look at it. Yeah, pressure has been one of the themes of this week as the whole team. gets close to the World Cup.

There's a lot of talk about how guys of Christian Weston deal with it. But how do you deal with pressure? Is there anything you do or have developed as like a routine to kind of take your mind off things? Yeah, man, to be honest, I mean, anytime I ever feel like there's some type of pressure, to be honest, you know, most of the time I'm a big family,

guys, so I just talk it out with my family. You know, I've always said that, you know, there's not really much pressure whenever you're just, you know, enjoying and doing the thing that you love. So, you know, at the end of the day, it's something that, you know, it was a dream for all of us. So, you know, we're used to this. We live it day by day, so, you know, everything's going to be fair.

With Fulham, did the American history of that club make it more attractive? Does that appeal to you in terms of choosing where might be next? Oh, to be honest, you know, obviously knowing that there were some American players that played there, you know, obviously it's a thing that, of course, you take look at, but, you know, to be honest, on a personal side, you know, I didn't really, you know, really affect my decision. I know that I had to look out for myself and see if there was a good team for me. And, you know, it didn't really affect anything. But, you know, it was nice to know that, you know, there were some American history behind that.

And then there's obviously a Mexican tradition there now, too, with Ravel Jimenez, obviously, you're well aware of. Yeah, your thoughts on him being there and potentially succeeding him if that were to be the place. Yeah, you know, it's a little bit difficult to say now because, you know, I can't really talk about it now since I'm not really in the moment. So, you know, whenever that happens, you know, I'll be able to answer that question, but not at the moment. Have you talked to teammates about playing in the prem in general, like Azic Jedi, Tim Ream, Christian, any advice you've gotten from them about what that league could be like for you? Yeah, you know, obviously talking to them a little bit.

You know, I know from myself that it's a really intense league, of course. You know, it's a league that constantly running, you know, the game is really fast. So, you know, just looking back at all the games that I've watched, to be honest this year and just talking to the, to the teammates, you know, I feel like it's a pretty good league. You feel like physically you're ready for the demands of that, a league like that? Yeah, of course, you know, it's, I feel like, to be honest, I play at a very high level. You know, I've played Champions League before, you know, so I feel like it's somewhat equal to that. So, you know, I should be ready for that.

For sure. Let's talk about a move you made earlier in your career. You made a really ambitious move to the Bundesliga. And it didn't quite work out the way you wanted it to then. Obviously, things have worked out in the end for you. but was there thinking about your next move, like looking back at that initial move, like is there any hesitation or conversation with your agent or your family about, you know, is this the right step for me or do I need another step before that jump to the biggest stage possible?

You know what I mean? Yeah. So to be honest, obviously, you know, like you mentioned, obviously, you know, going to the Bundesliga, you know, I was at a complete different stage in my life and my career. So, you know, I was 18 barely coming out of the state. So I feel like that's a bigger jump to make than me going where I am now. to the Prem or the Bundesliga. You know, that's a different, it's a different step, I would say, you know.

So, but of course I feel like in every single talk, every single club that's interested, you always look for to see if it's your style, to see if the coach likes you and stuff like that. So you're always constantly looking to see if, you know, it's the right spot for you. Yeah, you're a very different person and player than you were then, right, when you first went over. What do you think is the biggest difference in your game as a player than since when you left Dallas? Yeah, you know, I feel it just. having to adapt a little bit to, you know, the European style of play. You know, I feel like it's much more technical, you know, it's a little bit quicker, you know, so it's, yeah, I feel like

I've, you know, I've worked out and, you know, I've been working on my, on my craft for the past three years with PSV, like I said, and, you know, I feel like I'm at a very good level now. Anything in particular you're proud of in the last couple years that you've really refined at PSV and taken to the next level? Yeah, I feel like, you know, just playing in between lines and obviously, you know, I feel like my scoring abilities have always been there, but, you know, they've been able to be a little bit sharper, so that's always, that's always a plus. But yeah, I just, I feel I feel like just playing in between lines has been a lot better, you know, for the past three years. So, you know, I'm very happy with that. And of course, just, you know, the mentality of, you know,

living together, I mean, living alone and stuff like that, I feel like, you know, that's been able to develop and, you know, the maturity that comes with it. Yeah, you kind of answer the next question. I was going to say, what's different about you than the young RICO that left Texas. Yeah, man. you know, to be honest, it's like, you know, living at 18, you know, leaving your family behind it's, it's not easy, you know, going to a whole different culture, going to a whole different, you know, country just in general. It's not easy, of course, but, you know, if this is what you want,

then, you know, I had to get, I had to get adapted. So I feel like, you know, if you look at me now, obviously there's a big difference in maturity and mentality. So, you know, I'm very proud of that. Yeah, I'm sure there's a lot of nice things about living there, too. I don't want to, I don't want to disparage them too much, but I heard the food isn't amazing. So I wanted to ask you, what do you most look forward to eating when you come back to the U.S.? Yeah, just anytime I obviously get some time off, you know, I always go back home to my family. So mom's cooking is always the number one thing that I'm looking forward to, of course. But yeah, man, to be honest, you know, there's ways to get around the food over there.

I feel like if you go to a good food market and stuff like that, you can always find the things that you're looking for. Do people bring you a lot of stuff, like ingredients for you to cook, like when they come visit? Yeah, you know, it actually happens sometimes where, you know, sometimes I just ask my family to bring me like either a snack or, you know, something from the States so I can always just have a piece of home back in the Netherlands. So, you know, I do get, I do that. I do get a lot of that whenever my siblings come, come along, they always bring me some snacks or, you know, some ingredients or whatever it is. Have you gotten into cooking a lot or you let the... No, man, I, I've been cooking a lot, actually. I've been cooking a lot. Some guys have chefs, right? Some guys take some. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

No, man, to be honest, I feel like if I were to ever get a chef, my parents would kill me. So, no, no, I'm just joking. But I feel like, you know, just being able to cook, you know, it just obviously gives you a little bit more time to just spend time for yourself. And, you know, it's nice, man, to be honest. It's nice, you know. I always face on my mom while I'm cooking or I talk to my siblings and stuff like that. So I really enjoy it. When you were recruited to PSV, did they make any kind of promise or prediction?

about how Luke De Jong, like what the playing time divide would be like division of minutes. And like, did they tell you anything about when you get moved into a starting role? Was there any promises like that really on? Obviously, you know, clubs is always hard for them to make promises, of course, you know, and obviously looking at the situation that I was in. You know, Luke was the captain back there. So, you know, I knew I had to fight for my spot. I knew it was going to be a first difficult season.

And, you know, but I felt like from the first to the third, everything got a little bit easier. You know, I started making a little bit more impact on the pitch. And, you know, eventually now, you know, it's my time. It's my turn to be a starter. So I feel like I've had to work for sure. But, you know, they told me that if you're working hard and, you know, eventually you get the opportunity, then, you know, you can be the starter for sure.

What was your relationship like with him? Because that's got to be tricky, right? Like, you can learn a lot from him. There's that positive side to it. And then it's also like, you're, you know, you're there to take his spot eventually. Yeah. You know, I feel like just being in the same thing, obviously, you know, we have one goal and that's to become champions at the end of the season. So, you know, I always say that any time I'm working with another striker, you know, it's always healthy competition because, of course, we want to make each other better.

But at the end of the day, it's about the team, you know, so the most important thing was that, you know, we've been champions for the past two years. So, you know, I can't complain about that. And he was cool with you? Like he was. Yeah, of course. You know, there's a lot of things that I could learn from him. Of course, you know, the way that he plays, you know, he has a crazy head. heading ability so you know the way that he moves and stuff like that i will say that we were a little

bit different uh strikers you know we played a little bit different but you know there was some things to learn but he he was a he was a nice guy yeah you're i feel like you've improved in the air would you say that's fair to say like yeah you know i feel like i have to be honest you know it's uh yeah i've been working on it on the pitch of course you know in training and stuff like that just being able to work on my timing a little bit um but you know yeah definitely having him there making it easier and better for sure. So we got a home World Cup on the horizon. The last World Cup, you obviously didn't make the cut,

which was a big surprise to most people, I'd say, and not the right call. This time, it seems like you're in a good position. But there's some intense competition with the strikers, and you obviously missed a lot of time as well with the national team in recent years. A lot of guys are scoring goals right now, intense competition. What's going through your mind as we get closer to late May? Yeah, man, to be honest,

if I'm being completed honest here, you know, I'm just really focused on my game at the moment. You know, I'm focused on doing the things that I can control, you know, playing my game, helping PSV, like I said, helping the national team when I'm here. Just really focus on me and not really worried about anyone else. So you don't notice, like you don't see on social media, this guy's scoring, that guy's scoring, like none of that. Yeah, you know, obviously you see them because, you know, obviously you want those people to do well. Of course, you know, I'm not really in a competition versus them. Of course I am, but, you know, I'm just really focused on what I'm doing on the pitch or whether I'm helping on my team.

or whether I'm scoring the goals. So, you know, that's really what I'm focus on. I know if I'm pushing myself and I'm working hard and scoring goals, then, you know, I should be in a good place. Yeah. Flo has come in, and obviously he's a top player, and he's tough competition to start with. But have you thought about –

we haven't really seen Maricio have used two strikers yet. I mean, not at least from the start of the game, maybe later in the game when extra guys are on. But you think that's something we could see? Like you and Flo, are you and Patrick playing together, like guys playing off each other? Yeah, it's tough for me to say. If, you know, that would work out, of course, you know, that's a completely a cautious decision.

But, you know, I don't see why not, to be honest. I feel like we all have good relationships. And, you know, like I said, we all play a little bit different games, different roles. So, you know, I feel like it could work out for sure. What's it like to have a coaching staff that can speak Spanish with the national team? Do you speak to them in Spanish usually? And does that make a difference in terms of building relationships with the coaching staff and the staff? Yeah, yeah.

It's nice, to be honest. It's nice because obviously, you know, you know, when it comes to just even saying good morning or what's up, you know, you always talk to them in Spanish. I feel like sometimes it's easier to communicate in Spanish and get the message through for them, you know, and it makes it nice for me to understand. So, you know, it's also good for building relationships, like you say, you know, it's really good to be able to have that connection that sometimes you can't really express yourself in English the same way that you want to in Spanish, you know. So I feel like that's an important part of, you know, just building the relationship, like you said.

So they naturally, like you always speak to them in Spanish or when they're getting, giving you instructions or something in training it'll be in Spanish. Yeah, most of the time it's in Spanish. Okay. Most of the time is Spanish. There's a lot of languages flying around this team, right? A lot of guys speaking German. A lot, a lot.

It's nice, though. It's nice. It makes it a nice, you know, cultural team. Definitely. It's very cool. There aren't that many Mexican-American players at this moment. We can be confident about making the World Cup roster, but you're one of them.

And you remain the face of the Mexican-American player on this team in general, like since you've been a teenager. what does that mean to you, especially now with the Home World Cup on the horizon at this point in our country? Yeah, man, it's fantastic, to be honest, just being able to be, like you said, a Mexican-American, I feel like I go around and represent a lot of people. And not only people, but a lot of athletes, you know, I feel like there's a lot of soccer players or, you know, even basketball, track stars, whatever, that, you know, they're Mexican-American, and, you know, a lot of people are always trying to make them pick a side. And, you know, to be honest, you know, my parents are, you know, Mexican, so then, you know, you can really represent those people because, you know, they have a really deep connection to you. So, you know, it's an honor to be able to be the face and, you know, represent these people well. So, you know, I'm putting it out for my people for sure.

Yeah, and I'm sure it always meant a lot. Does it mean more now because everything that's going on in the country or do you, like, not even think about that? Like, how do you look at that? Oh, man, you know, it's difficult, of course, you know, it's always difficult to see some things like these. but, you know, I feel like we have a good opportunity this summer to bring people together with this, you know, a very big tournament, and I feel like it's going to be amazing. What do you think it's going to take for you guys to not just compete with but beat teams like Belgium, like Portugal, these big European, South American teams that, you know, everyone's really anticipating that,

obviously you've got to get through the group, right? It's not going to be easy. First couple knockout games won't be easy. But everyone dreams of this occasion, right, the big game against the top team. To win that big game, what do you think needs to happen for the team? You know, I feel like we have a good quality in the team. You know, we have a lot of players playing abroad. You know, we have some players playing here locally, and, you know, we have a very good team.

I feel like we have a lot of quality. So I think the most important is just about the intentory that we bring on to the games, man. It's about winning the duels, you know, winning these 50-50 battles. I feel like that's going to make the difference at the end of the day. Yeah, Mariso talked a lot about that today. But he also talked about it a little bit about the style, the way the team is playing. And it seems like you guys are doing a good job creating chances in the final third. maybe more so than the past, but it also seems like maybe you're a bit more exposed defensively.

Is that a fair way to look at it? And do you think it's because of that? Is it like a tradeoff with we're going to throw numbers forward? We're going to try and make stuff happen and take a bit more risk? Or is it just about intensity and tactical awareness? How do you see that? Yeah, you know, I feel like it's a little bit about just, yeah, I feel like it's more tactical awareness than anything else, to be honest. I feel like, you know, obviously, like you said, we're creating a lot of opportunities.

and it's just about being organized whenever we're attacking. So I think that that's an easy fix. That's something that we just need to go into the video and look at it and just fix it. So I think we should be fine, man. We'll finish on a high note here. What's a positive note? What's your favorite club goal of your career so far

and your favorite national team goal? Favorite club goal. Probably had to be my first favorite club. We'll probably have to be the first championship goal, I would say. first Champions League goal like actual Champions League goal was probably no that was not my first one

probably say Sevilla. Sevia away. Champions League, it wasn't my first one but it was a good one. It was a good one. It was an important one so I'll always remember that one. Yeah, I think we all.

And then probably national team that would have to be my first goal. Honduras away or Honduras? Yeah, Honduras. That was your very first one. That was another massive. Yeah, man, crazy one, crazy one, crazy one. So, yeah, important ones, important ones. Amazing, man. Rico, thank you so much for coming on the pod. Thank you, my man. Appreciate that.