Ricardo Pepi "ready to be the man" in latest USMNT No. 9 opportunity

Pepi has scored 3 goals in his last 4 USMNT appearances

FC Dallas forward Ricardo Pepi is "ready to be the man" for the United States men's national team, according to head coach Gregg Berhalter.

Pepi, 19, has been in impressive form for both club and country in recent months, scoring 3 goals in his last 4 USMNT appearances.

He is expected to lead the line for the USA in their upcoming friendly against Jamaica on Thursday, and Berhalter has backed him to succeed.

Pepi is a "special player" with a "bright future"

“Ricardo is a special player,” Berhalter said. “He's got a bright future ahead of him. He's a young player, but he's already shown that he can score goals at the international level.

“He's a confident player, and he's ready to take on the challenge of being the No. 9 for the USMNT.

“I'm excited to see what he can do in the future.”

Pepi has big shoes to fill

Pepi will be tasked with filling the void left by Jozy Altidore, who retired from international football after the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Altidore was the USMNT's all-time leading scorer with 42 goals, and he was a key member of the team for over a decade.

But Berhalter believes that Pepi has the potential to be even better than Altidore.

Pepi is "the future of the USMNT"

“Ricardo is the future of the USMNT,” Berhalter said. “He's a young player with a lot of potential.

“He's got all the tools to be a great striker. He's got good size, he's got good speed, and he's got a good eye for goal.

“I'm excited to see what he can do in the future.”

Pepi is ready for the challenge

Pepi is relishing the opportunity to lead the line for the USMNT.

“I'm ready to be the man,” Pepi said. “I'm ready to take on the challenge.

“I know that I have big shoes to fill, but I'm confident that I can do it.

“I'm excited to help the USMNT win games and achieve our goals.”