Ricardo Pepi raised his profile with his first Major League Soccer brace to lead FC Dallas to a 2-1 win over the New England Revolution Sunday night. The audience for the final game of the weekend witnessed the homegrown forward score the winner on a stunning individual effort early in the second half.
That vision, that skill is something FC Dallas coach Luchi Gonzalez witnessed from the first time he saw Pepi.
Gonzalez was with Francisco Molina, the director of scouting, when they first encountered Pepi, then a 12-year-old on a middle school field in El Paso.
“I just saw a kid naturally positioned and with instincts around the goal,” Gonzalez said in his post-match press conference.
So Gonzalez isn’t surprised to see Pepi’s ascent on the first team where he’s scored three goals in three consecutive starts, including the winning golazo that even drew praise from veteran forward Jozy Altidore.
“He always had this instinct and talent and it was about supporting his pathway and giving him ingredients to reach his potential and he’s nowhere near his potential,” Gonzalez said. “You still see a lot of things in his game that can be much better, but he certainly has a great mentality and he has the talent and he has a great family and a great support system.
"It’s a pleasure to work with him because whether he starts or not, scores or not, he’s always ready, wanting to learn and that to me shows he has a high ceiling. I’m really happy for him and I know he’s going to continue to be hungry and want more.”
Pepi was humble when he addressed the media, giving credit to his teammates rather than patting his own back.
“First I want to thank Jesus \[Ferreira] and Bryan \[Acosta\], they did most of the job and the team did too. I just have to put it away,” he said. "It’s a great feeling, the team needed it and we keep going forward.”
The connection between Pepi and Ferreira is a natural one, in part, because of how close they are off the field.
“I think it’s a special bond because both of us are young and we’re looking at the same objectives — score goals, assists,” said the 20-year-old Ferreira. “I think showing what we can do together is something special. When we work together and the team works together we can do great things.”
