When United States men's national team striker Ricardo Pepi entered the pitch at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Wednesday, his PSV side had just gotten an own goal to draw level at 2-2 with Sevilla in the 82nd minute of their Champions League group stage match.
Just seconds before, a 2-1 defeat looked likely for the Dutch side, and it would have been a result that could have put their knockout stage lives in jeopardy.
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But Pepi, who has revitalized his club career over the last year, had other thoughts. The Texas native delivered the knockout punch with a brilliant winning goal in the 92nd minute, heading home with incredible precision on the break, silencing the home supporters.
Take a look:
RICARDO PEPI WITH THE STOPPAGE TIME WINNER FOR PSV. 🚨🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/3qyoAy6TbH
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 29, 2023
The goal is a welcome sight for both his club and the supporters of his national team. While the three points puts them on the brink of the round of 16, with a three-point lead over third-place Lens, it also shows the incredible progress he's made since his failed initial move to Europe.
After dominating in MLS, he surprised everybody by signing for German club Augsburg despite the interest of much bigger clubs. There, he played 16 games and never scored, quickly joining Groningen on loan. In his first season in the Dutch league, he managed to score 13 total goals across all competitions before his move to PSV before this season. He's got four goals in 18 games for the side, a solid return for a young striker who is viewed more as a long-term impact player than a current one.
His goal off the bench could warrant even more minutes after scoring his first club goal in nearly a month.