In a thrilling encounter, United States teammates Sergiño Dest and Ricardo Pepi teamed up to secure the winning goal for PSV Eindhoven in their Dutch league season opener on Saturday.
With the match tied at 1-1 against Excelsior in the 56th minute, Dest delivered a perfect cross from the right flank, which Pepi converted with a precise first-time shot into the net.
This dynamic duo was part of the U.S. roster at the recent World Cup, where they were eliminated by Belgium in the round of 16.
The goal marked Pepi’s first of the season, having scored 16 times in the league during the previous campaign.
Twee minuten na de gelijkmaker van Excelsior schiet Ricardo Pepi PSV weer op voorsprong 💨🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/NKVND7AHMI
— ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) August 15, 2026
After opening their Eredivisie campaign with a 2-2 draw against Fortuna Sittard last week, defending champions PSV were eager for their first victory as they faced Excelsior.
The match started well for PSV, as they took an early lead just five minutes in when Ruben van Bommel scored from a rebound off Paul Wanner‘s shot.
Excelsior equalized in the 54th minute, with Casper Widell heading past Ajax goalkeeper Matej Kovář.
However, PSV quickly regained the lead as Pepi found the net just two minutes later, securing all three points for the visitors.
PSV’s next match is scheduled against FC Groningen on August 23.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.