FC Groningen's relegation from the Eredivisie was confirmed Sunday following a 1-1 away draw at Go Ahead Eagles, although USMNT striker Ricardo Pepi provided a brief glimmer of hope (as he has all season) when he opened the scoring for the visitors in the sixth-minute.
This was Pepi's 12th goal of the campaign to go along with three assists, giving him 15 goal involvements in 26 games. The last 20-year-old to reach that benchmark for Groningen was one Luis Suárez, who scored 10 goals and created six more during the 2006-07 campaign.
GOAAAAAAL
Ricardo Pepi
Go Ahead Eagles: 0-1 :FC Groningen#GAEGRO pic.twitter.com/BFIW3d8Qno— ' Burak | Video Eredivisie (@VideoEredivisie) May 7, 2023
15 - Ricardo Pepi (20 years, 118 days) is the youngest player with 15 goal involvements for FC Groningen in a single Eredivisie season since Luis Suárez in 2006-07. Star. pic.twitter.com/HJ3vKkmPY1
— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) May 7, 2023
Pepi will now be looking to emulate Suárez's career path — the Uruguayan spent one season at Groningen before transferring to Ajax for $8.4 million. Pepi is also destined to only spend a single season in "the capital of the north" as he'll rejoin parent club FC Augsburg following the completion of his loan.
Pepi has gone on record saying there's "no chance" he plays for Augsburg next season, but the German club could demand $30 million for a summer transfer — that's a huge asking price for interested clubs like PSV and Feyenoord.
Groningen finishes the season with matches against Ajax, Vitesse and Sparta Rotterdam, and then we'll certainly see Pepi with the USMNT this summer.
