Tag Archives: Honduras

Keyrol Figueroa Signs Professional Contract with Liverpool F.C.

Posted on by
Reply

Keyrol Figueroa has a new deal…

The 17-year-old Honduran soccer player and United States youth international has signed a professional contract with Liverpool F.C., the Premier League club announced Tuesday.

Keyrol FigueroaFigueroa, a forward, has been impressive since moving to the Merseyside club when he was 14 and has consistently scored at different age levels.

Liverpool described him in a statement as a “prolific goalscorer.”

Figueroa, who can also play as a wide attacker, scored seven goals to help the United States reach the final of the CONCACAF Under-17 Championship in 2023.

He played in last year’s Under-17 World Cup, where the U.S. was eliminated in the round of 16 by Germany.

Having advanced through Liverpool’s academy, Figueroa recently scored for the Under-18s team against Wolverhampton.

Figueroa is the son of former Wigan and Honduras defender Maynor Figueroa.

Ricardo Pepi Named to U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team for Upcoming World Cup Qualifiers

Posted on by
Reply

Ricardo Pepi is set to represent the United States…

The 18-year-old Mexican American professional soccer player, fresh off his transfer from FC Dallas to Augsburg earlier this month, appears on the United States men’s national team roster for manager Gregg Berhalter ahead of an upcoming three-game World Cup qualifying window.

Ricardo PepiPepi appears on a roster that includes Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams.

Through eight of 14 matches, the United States sits second in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying standings with 15 points — a point behind first-place Canada and a point ahead of Mexico and Panama. The top three teams automatically qualify for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, while the fourth-place finisher will play a single-match qualifier in June.

The United States hosts El Salvador in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday and plays at Canada in Hamilton, Ontario, on January 30 before finishing the window against Honduras in St. Paul, Minnesota, on February 2.

The 28-man roster features Luca De la Torre, who has seen his profile rise recently through strong play with Heracles in the Dutch Eredivisie.

Borussia Dortmund attacker Giovanni Reyna, who recently returned to training in Germany following a hamstring injury he suffered on international duty in September, remains unavailable.

“That was another one that was a difficult decision in the end,” Berhalter said. “Together with Gio, we thought the best thing for him to do is to stay at Dortmund, train these weeks and try to get into their squad.”

Here’s a look at the roster:

GOALKEEPERS (4): Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 9/0), Gabriel Slonina (Chicago Fire; 0/0), Zack Steffen (Manchester City/ENG; 26/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 13/0)

DEFENDERS (9): Reggie Cannon (Boavista/POR; 22/1), Sergino Dest (Barcelona/ESP; 15/2), Brooks Lennon (Atlanta United; 1/0), Mark McKenzie (Genk/BEL; 8/0), Chris Richards (Hoffenheim/GER; 6/0), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 15/3), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; 15/3), DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray/TUR; 71/0), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 23/2)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Kellyn Acosta (LAFC; 45/2), Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig/GER; 22/1), Luca De la Torre (Heracles/NED; 4/0), Sebastian Lletget (New England Revolution; 33/8), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 28/8), Yunus Musah (Valencia/ESP; 11/0), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; 30/0)

FORWARDS (8): Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg/AUT; 15/5), Paul Arriola (DC United; 42/8), Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas; 5/2), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders; 40/10), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 42/17), Timothy Weah (Lille/FRA; 18/2), Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew; 66/14)

FC Dallas Star Ricardo Pepi Completes $20 Million Move to FC Augsburg

Posted on by
1

It’s official… Ricardo Pepi is headed to Alemania…

The 18-year-old Mexican American professional soccer player, a forward for FC Dallas and the United States international team, has completed a move to Bundesliga side FC Augsburg.

Ricardo Pepi ESPN previously reported that Pepi was set to move to Augsburg in a deal worth $20 million plus add-ons, the most for a homegrown player in Major League Soccer (MLS) history.

Sources said Dallas will also receive a 10% sell-on percentage for any future moves.

“Moving to Europe after the conclusion of the MLS season was my dream,” Pepi said in a statement Monday. “I believe FC Augsburg and the Bundesliga will prove the perfect settings for me to gain match practice at the top level as a youngster.

“The efforts the FCA club officials put in to sign me were really impressive. As a result, I felt right away that FCA was the right club for me. I can’t wait to meet my new teammates and I want to integrate into the team as quickly as possible. I can hardly wait to get going!”

Pepi enjoyed a remarkable year in 2021 that resulted in his first call-up to the U.S. national team in September. He recorded a goal and two assists in his international debut against Honduras and now has three goals in seven appearances for his country.

Pepi scored 13 goals in 31 league appearances this season for Dallas.

FC Augsburg are embroiled in a relegation battle in Germany’s top flight, sitting in 15th place on 18 points after 17 games.

“We are delighted that Ricardo has decided to join Augsburg despite interest from a number of top clubs around the world,” Augsburg executive Stefan Reuter said.

“We were able to provide him with a clear sporting plan for his future development that convinced him to come here. We are certain that he will continue to improve here in Augsburg and that we’ll have a lot of fun together over the coming years.”