Pepi Hat Trick

Pepi is now tied in the Eredivisie Golden Boot Race 

U.S. striker Ricardo Pepi continued his remarkable scoring run with a hat trick, powering PSV Eindhoven to a 5-0 rout of FC Groningen in the Dutch Eredivisie on Saturday.

Starting in place of regular striker Luuk de Jong, Pepi netted three times against his former loan club to move joint-top of the Eredivisie scoring charts with nine goals, level with FC Twente's Sem Steijn. The 21-year-old American has achieved this tally in just 12 appearances, only four of them starts.

Pepi's first goal came in the 37th minute after Olivier Boscagli had given PSV the lead. The former FC Dallas forward showcased his individual brilliance, sprinting in from the right touchline and driving into the penalty area before cleverly chipping over the Groningen goalkeeper.

After Guus Til made it 3-0, Pepi struck twice more. His second goal in the 64th minute demonstrated his growing confidence as he beat a defender before finding the bottom corner. The American completed his hat trick in the 78th minute with a clinical header from 6 yards out.

The performance extends Pepi's impressive scoring streak to four consecutive games, including two goals for the U.S. national team in their recent Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal victory over Jamaica.

Pepi has now been involved in multiple goals in four straight starts and his scoring rate continues a trend from last season, when he netted seven goals in just 459 Eredivisie minutes. The victory strengthens PSV's position atop the Eredivisie standings, where they lead second-placed Utrecht by eight points, having played two more games.