CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — Back with the U.S. national team for the first time in a year, Ricardo Pepi is just returning to top form.

Surprisingly left off the 2022 World Cup roster , Pepi is part of a forward pool with Folarin Balogun and Haji Wright as the Americans prepare for friendlies against Paraguay on Saturday and Uruguay on Tuesday, the next-to-last training camp before coach Mauricio Pochettino calls in players ahead of the World Cup.

“It’s been a lot of inconsistency,” Pepi said Thursday. “I feel like I’m at a very good spot now. My main focus at the beginning of the season was staying healthy.”

A 22-year-old from El Paso, Texas, Pepi has 11 goals in 33 international appearances. He made his Major League Soccer debut for Dallas at age 16 and transferred to Germany's Augsburg in J

See Full Page