USMNT forward Ricardo Pepi may need to clear the air with his national team coach after he put the phone down on him after being told we had not made the 2022 World Cup squad.
Incoming coach Gregg Berhalter left his post as US head coach following the showpiece tournament in Qatar in December following the conclusion of this contract amid controversy. During the World Cup, it emerged that he had been involved in a domestic incident back in 1992 and an independent investigation was launched by US Soccer.
The 49-year-old co-operates with the investigation and also issued an apology for his behaviour where he acknowledged that there were 'zero excuses' for his actions. The investigation concluded in March and it was determined that there was no legal reason why Berhalter could not be re-instated as coach.
New US Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker had resolved to install a new permanent manager by August when he took the job in May. After two interim coaches took charge of the team during the first six months of 2023 in the form of his ex-assistant Anthony Hudson and B.J. Callaghan, the federation announced that they would be giving Berhalter his old job back.
Having led the team for four years prior to the expiry of his contract, the New Jersey-born coach already has prior knowledge about the players he will be managing. And he may have to rebuild some relationships, with forward Ricardo Pepi among those he will need to build bridges with after he left the 21-year-old out of his squad for the tournament in Qatar.
The attacking prospect has since revealed he actually put the phone down on Berhalter when he told him the news that he had missed out on a place in his squad. Speaking on a podcast for Groningen, he said earlier this year: "I remember exactly the moment - I hopped on a phone call with national team coach, he said I wasn't on the roster so then I just hung up the phone on him.
"I was in shock, it took me five minutes to get it in my mind. I just couldn't believe it - I called my agent immediately and then I called my dad. They thought I was playing with them, it was something that I was shocked about to be honest. I use every situation and every situation like this is always going to make hungry."
The youngster has gone from strength to strength following the disappointment, however, and experienced the best goalscoring season of his career so far, notching 12 goals while on loan at Dutch side Groningen. He could well leave parent club Augsburg this summer to complete a permanent move to Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven after his breakout season in the Netherlands.
Speaking following the news that Berhalter will resume his post as head coach of the USMNT, Pepi did seem to embrace the prospect and vowed to leave any differences behind them in the coming months and years.
He said: "Anything that happened, it's in the past. Now we have new opportunities. We will sit down, me and him used to have a good connection. Talking to him won’t be a problem to me, I know we’ll make up and we’ll find a solution for these things."
