Ricardo Pepi scored the only goal in the United States' 1-0 win over Jamaica, emulating a particular record of former stars.

A new chapter unfolds under Mauricio Pochettino. Ricardo Pepi scored the only goal as the United States defeated Jamaica in Kingston, taking the lead after the first leg of the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals.

Pepi’s 12 by 22 for USMNT

The 21-year-old striker now has 12 goals for the Stars and Stripes, setting his sights on greatness and positioning himself as a future key player for the USMNT. Only four players had scored 12 goals before the age of 22: Christian Pulisic, Landon Donovan, and Jozy Altidore – three cornerstones of the national team.

“We showed that we’re here to fight. We knew it would be a tough match, but we got the result we were looking for. If I can find the spaces, I’ll have more chances to score,” said Pepi after the game.

At Pepi’s age (21 years and 10 months), Donovan had 15 goals – only three more than the PSV forward, who was left out of the Qatar 2022 World Cup due to a coach’s decision. Pulisic had 14 goals, just one more than Pepi.

Pepi’s moment of decision

Pepi is taking advantage of Folarin Balogun’s absence. Balogun, who started most of Gregg Berhalter’s recent games, missed the match against Jamaica due to injury. “I’m ready to be the starter,” Pepi declared, backing up his statement with performances that make him Pochettino’s go-to striker in these initial matches.

He has often had to play in the shadow of great goal scorers, and at PSV, he serves as a backup to Luuk de Jong – a reality Pochettino understands. With the winter transfer window approaching, Pepi knows one option is to leave the Dutch club in search of a starting role elsewhere.