Forward Scores Another Goal and Defender Makes His Return to Action in Draw With Ajax
It took Ricardo Pepi just 33 seconds to make his mark at the Johan Cruyff Arena on Saturday, and in doing so, he delivered one of the more arresting moments of the Dutch league weekend.
The American striker headed home at the far post after Yarek Gasiorowski extended a long throw-in from Kiliann Sildillia, giving PSV a lead that must have felt like a statement. For a team that had already clinched the Eredivisie title and spent part of the week on Ibiza, the champions showed no sign of complacency from the opening whistle.
The goal was Pepi's 14th of the league season and his fourth in just three matches—a sharp burst of form that takes his overall tally for PSV to 17 goals across all competitions in 2025-26. At 23, he is producing at a level that marks him out as one of the more reliable American forwards in European football right now.
PSV ultimately had to settle for a point after Mika Godts equalized for Ajax in the 92nd minute, canceling out Myron Boadu's 77th-minute strike.
For US fans watching, though, the result was almost secondary to another development: Sergiño Dest came off the bench just before the hour mark, making his return from the hamstring injury he suffered on March 7. 30 minutes, 26 touches, a splendid 94% pass completion rate and one successful dribble—a quietly encouraging cameo from a player who had missed both of the USMNT's recent pre-World Cup friendlies through injury.
With the tournament on home soil beginning in June, Dest's return could hardly be better timed.
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