Ricardo Pepi Denied Historic Hat-Trick by Controversial Call in PSV’s Big Win

Young striker Ricardo Pepi of the U.S. Men’s National Team was upset that he was not given a hat-trick in PSV Eindhoven’s 6-0 victory over Zwolle. Pepi, who joined PSV permanently this season after moving from FC Dallas to Europe in 2022, scored twice and appeared to have scored his third goal in the 71st minute, but it was ruled an own goal after bouncing off Zwolle’s goalie, Jasper Schendelaar.

Pepi has acquired experience in the Bundesliga with Augsburg and the Netherlands with Groningen since relocating to Europe. Since joining PSV, he has consistently shown his worth by scoring five goals in 11 games this season and helping the team get off to a perfect start, going undefeated in their first ten league games.

Pepi’s Response to the Choice

In response to the contentious call, Pepi posted on social media, saying, “No hattrick is crazy!” Despite missing his first European match ball, the 21-year-old’s performance highlights his increasing influence as he keeps improving on the European scene.