Just as he’s hitting his stride in the lead-up to the World Cup, scoring goals at a blistering pace and cementing his starting spot at Dutch front-runners PSV Eindhoven, the U.S. forward Riccardo Pepi Suffered the cruelest setback: breaking his left forearm while scoring another goal.
It happened in the 23rd minute of Saturday’s 5-1 win over Excelsior, when Pepi fell awkwardly while putting the ball into the net.
“It doesn’t look good and in moments like this you’d rather look elsewhere,” PSV coach Peter Bosz said.
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After being helped off the field, Pepi was taken to hospital. He underwent surgery on Sunday and will miss two months, the club announced.
Pepi posted “All parts of the game…BRB” on his Instagram page, along with an hourglass emoji.
“Peppi is in good shape, had a great training camp and has recovered from a knee injury that missed the second half of last season,” Bosz said. “He’s become more confident… and is in good form again. All signs point to a strong second half of the season, so it’s incredibly disappointing. Firstly for him and certainly for us.”
Pepi has scored in six of seven games in all competitions, taking his league tally to eight. He scored 11 goals in 21 games.
PSV forward Riccardo Pepi will miss two months after an embarrassing fall on Saturday resulted in a broken arm.
(NurPhoto via Getty Images)
As Pepi’s minutes and production increase, he has every reason to earn a spot as Team USA coach Mauricio PochettinoWorld Cup squad. The injury certainly won’t prevent him from making the 26-man roster, but it does prevent him from participating in friendlies against Belgium and Portugal in Atlanta in late March – Pochettino’s final U.S. training camp before selecting his World Cup team in late May.
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Due to a long layoff, Pepi not only needs to return to Bosz’s starting lineup, but also needs to rediscover his scoring touch.
American right back Sergino Dest The tenth consecutive Eredivisie match played the full 90 minutes as PSV extended their lead over Feyenoord to 13 points.
England
center back chris richards Crystal Palace have been in poor form since mid-December, failing to win more than nine games in all competitions. Things continued to worsen on Saturday as the Eagles lost 2-1 to sixth-tier side Macclesfield Town in the FA Cup third round.
The hosts – 117 league places below Crystal Palace in the English pyramid – are the first non-league side to knock out the reigning FA Cup champions since Palace beat Wolves in the first round in 1908-09. Their coach is John Rooney, the younger brother of former superstar Wayne Rooney. (John has played for the New York Red Bulls and Orlando City, among many other clubs.)
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“Honestly, I can’t explain what I saw today,” Palace coach Oliver Glasner said.
Both cup games feature Team USA: After falling behind in the first half, the full-back Anthony Robinson Fulham get their best midfielder Aidan Morris and second-tier Middlesbrough 3-1. Robinson came on in the 66th minute, while Morris (90th minute) added a second assist with a deft touch.
midfield Brenden Aronson (Substitute late in the game) Leeds United defeated Derby County in the Second Division 3-1, the striker came on Patrick Agyeman In the 73rd minute.
forward Haji Wright He played 73 minutes in second division leaders Coventry’s 0-1 loss to second division Stoke City. Since scoring twice on behalf of the national team against Australia in October, Wright has gone 14 consecutive Coventry games without scoring.
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forward Josh Sargent Manager Philippe Clement said they refused to take part in second-tier Norwich City’s 5-1 cup win over fourth-tier side Walsall.
“Josh sent me a message saying he couldn’t attend because he had a transfer in his head,” Clement said. “That’s obviously not what we want and there will be consequences. It’s something we need to discuss within the club but the club have made it clear to Josh and his agent that he will not be leaving during this transfer window.”
Toronto FC are reportedly interested in Sargent, 25, who joined Norwich City in August 2021.
Italy
forward Christian Pulisic (90 mins) A third straight game without a goal – five in six – saw AC Milan move into second place in Serie A behind Inter Milan after drawing 1-1 with Fiorentina.
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midfield Yunus Musa In the 67th minute, Atlanta defeated Turin 2-0. This was the team’s third consecutive game without a clean sheet.
midfield Weston McEnany Juventus hope to extend their unbeaten run to seven games on Monday at home to Cremones.
goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann Cesena has been winless for three consecutive rounds in Serie B, losing 0-1 to Empoli and ranking sixth.
Germany
full back Joe Scully Borussia Monchengladbach scored its first goal since October 2023 in the 8th minute to help Borussia beat Augsburg 4-0.
Since joining the Bundesliga side from New York City FC in 2021, he has scored 3 league goals and 4 goals in total. Gio Reina Replaced him in the 85th minute. defender Noah Kay Bank Played 90 minutes for Augsburg.
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midfield Malik Tillman (90th minute) Leverkusen scored a penalty kick in the second half and lost 4-1 at home to Stuttgart. They scored four goals before half-time, tied with their opponents and ranked fourth.
On loan from Southampton, forward Damien Downes Hamburg’s debut did not go well, and he was quiet for 78 minutes in the 1-2 loss to Freiburg.
St. Pauli’s game against RB Leipzig postponed due to heavy snow in Hamburg, American midfielder missing James Sands Inactive.
winger Kevin ParedesThe 2024 Olympian returned from five months out due to injury and came on in the 77th minute of Wolfsburg’s 8-1 loss to Bayern Munich.
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left wing John Tolkien Kiel Holstein are still in the winter break of the second division, with competition set to resume next weekend.
France
French Cup Round of 32, Forward Folarin Balogun (86th minute) Scored the first goal for Monaco in their 3-1 victory over third-division Orléans. He has scored eight goals in all competitions this season.
center back Mark McKenzie After a 1-1 draw with Angers in the cup, Toulouse won 6-5 on penalties as captain. McKenzie’s club’s first attempt in a penalty shootout failed.
In another cup match between top clubs, the midfielder Tanner Tesman (90 minutes) Helped Lyon defeat Lille 2-1.
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winger Tim Weah and Marseille will travel to Bayeux in the sixth tier on Tuesday, seeking to avoid cup embarrassment.
Others
center back Alston Reliable Celtic played the full 90 minutes and, with the return of Martin O’Neill, beat Dundee United 4-0.
midfield Johnny Cardozo Atletico Madrid lost to Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
winger Alex Zendejas On the opening day of the Mexican Primera Division spring league, Club America drew 0-0 with Tijuana, apparently missing unexpectedly due to injury.