What do you have to do to get on the national team if you are a goal scorer? Scoring goals does not seem to be a criteria for Gregg Berhalter and the USMNT. Inexplicably 26-year-old striker Jordan Pefok has been left off the September roster in the final lead up to the World Cup.
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.
Jordan Pefok (Getty Images)
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.
