This time last year, Ricardo Pepi’s outlook for both club and country was considerably different.
Roughly 370 days ago, Pepi had just made his decision to represent the U.S. over Mexico on the international stage. He was scoring goals for fun in MLS, wound up a hero in the league’s All-Star Game vs. Liga MX and was on the verge of linking up with the U.S. men’s national team for the start of World Cup qualifying. All was trending upward, and given how the U.S. started its road to Qatar and given the role Pepi played in getting the U.S. back on track, he played a vital part in ensuring the U.S. secured a return trip to the World Cup.
A lot can change in a year.
