Pefok’s big frame and nose for goal has been a big issue for pundits in the United States, as Gregg Berhalter has consistently turned to other options over Pefok at striker. Jesus Ferreira, Ricardo Pepi, or Josh Sargent were all priority starters over Pefok.

In the end for the World Cup, Berhalter has chosen to go with Jesus Ferreira, Haji Wright, and Josh Sargent at the striker position, so why was Jordan Pefok never considered?

Why is Jordan Pefok missing the Qatar 2022 World Cup?

According to reports, Jordan Pefok never quite fit into Gregg Berhalter’s system, the USMNT coach plays a high press and the way he utilizes his strikers, they are prone to hold up play and link with the wingers, Pulisic, Weah, or Aaronson than be target forwards.

In the end Pefok is considered one of the biggest snubs of the World Cup for the USMNT, but with only 9 caps and 1 goal, with his last match being against Mexico as a second half sub, Pefok was never really in the plans of Gregg Berhalter.

Pefok has been the most consistent goal scorer in the USMNT striker pool, scoring goals in the UEFA Champions League and being a golden boot in the Swiss Super League last season for Young Boys. In 2021/22 Pefok scored 27 goals in 45 games.

In the summer Pefok did one better to improve his chances on the USMNT, he moved to the Bundesliga to Union Berlin and has pick up where he left off in Switzerland. Why Pefok has been overlooked is simply mind boggling.

Why Jordan Pefok has been left off the USMNT roster?

Gregg Berhalter, who has made a career of doing podcasts and interviews about players he does not call up, gave vague answers about the September roster not being the ‘final roster’ to the lead up to the World Cup. Pundits and fans are to assume that in September those on the bubble have one last chance to make a case to Gregg Berhalter.

Although why Berhalter would still be interested in roster spots 18-26, when he still has huge questions on the striker position is up for debate. Goalkeeper, one of the central defenders, and striker are the biggest questions for the USMNT leading up to Qatar.

Where does Pefok stand in that discussion? That is a question hard to answer, all the striker has done is score goals with 3 goals in 6 matches in the new Bundesliga season, Pefok also scored in his lone match in the German cup.

When it comes to the current crop of forwards, Pefok’s four Bundesliga goals were overlooked for Josh Sargent’s equally admirable 6 goals in 10 England Championship games, Ricardo Pepi’s first goal in ages for Groningen, and Jesús Ferreira’s fantastic season in MLS.

For Pefok his good production has been overlooked for his lack of hold up play and playing off of the wingers, which Berhalter prefers. In short Pefok has been relegated over a system, not so much talent.

For a national team program that has suffered to find their number nine, their pure striker, Pefok may check all the boxes, except one, he doesn’t fit Berhalter’s system. While Sargent and Ferreira have made well deserved cases for themselves, Pefok seems to be fourth on the nine depth chart.

At the moment Pefok’s only major contribution to the USMNT is a goal in 8 matches, said goal was a Concacaf Nations League goal against Honduras, in World Cup qualifying he was mostly used as a substitute and in 2022 was used in only 1 match.

Pefok seems to be surplus to the system, although some would say systems need to be adapted to the players not the other way around.

While Altidore did score 42 goals for the USMNT, 0 of those goals came at a World Cup (2010 and 2014) and you need to go all the way back to Brian McBride to find a forward who scored at a World Cup and was almost an immovable piece of the USMNT’s attack. While Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan may be the countries all-time leading scorers, both players played in various aspects of the attack, including forward, and as the years moved on they played more on the wings or behind the pure strikerthan up top, exclusively.

During Gregg Berhalter’s era the list of forwards that have not captured the spot is eye raising, Tyler Boyd, Daryl Dike, Nicholas Gioacchini, Josh Sargent, Matthew Hoppe, Jordan Pefok, Jesús Ferreira, Ricardo Pepi, and Gyasi Zardes, nine players have tried, to little avail to become the USMNT’s go-to striker. In a program that wants to sell “depth”, you can hardly call the list above a depth chart, rather it’s more of a game of musical chairs. While Ricardo Pepi should be the team’s main target forward, the coach’s tinkering has left the forward position with a lot more questions than answers. In this article we will provide 2 answers to Gregg Berhalter’s forward woes: Jordan Pefok and Christian Ramirez.

Jordan Pefok

A no brainer it would seem, and for a long time now, Jordan Pefok has been scoring at will in the Swiss league for Young Boys, the 25-year-old has 13 goals in 19 games. While some fans may balk at the notion of the big target man for the USMNT, which includes players in Serie A, Bundesliga, and Premier League being from the Swiss league, Pefok has scored 2 Champions League goals this season and before that3 goals in Champions League qualification.

Pefok last was with the USMNT in September in 2021, then when his form, and the coach always talks about form, shows he is the nation’s best striker at the moment, Pefok was inexplicably not called in for the last two USMNT World Cup qualifying rosters. Pefok is more of a power striker who makes the most of the chances that are fed to him. When you consider the talent in the USMNT midfield, Pefok could provide that much needed scoring touch from crosses and poaching abilities.

Pefok at the moment has only 8 caps, not all starts, and 1 goal, a pivotal Concacaf Nations League goal against Honduras that sent the USMNT to the final. Berhalter likes forwards to have hold up play and Pefok may not be suitable for that as he seems to work better as a pure finisher.

Christian Ramirez

Christian Ramirez has come out of left field, but the former Dynamo scorer made a jump to Scotland with Aberdeen and has consistently put the ball in the back of the net. Ramirez has scored 9 goals in 24 outings this season and is a consistent starter for his team.

While he may not be starting lineup potential, Ramirez could be an interesting option off the bench, and he is not entirely a left field addition, Ramirez has 2 caps and 1 goal for the USMNT.

The realities are that the USMNT’s manager likes to shoot himself in the foot, with constant lineup changes and tinkering. The forward position on the USMNT is a mystery, now in a World Cup year it will be a question Berhalter needs to answer and quickly. A team without a consistent goal scorer might survive Concacaf World Cup qualification, but once at a World Cup, if all your target man brings to the table is his “good hold up play”, don’t expect the USMNT to be in Qatar that long.