Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Happy Monday to you all. Welcome to Football Americas. He is Alejandro Bonilla. He is Hercules Gomez. Both of them complain about how not cheap it is to have a child, at least in school. Or two. I'm learning a lot. I'm learning a lot. But speaking of...
Oh, you got one in college, actually.
Yeah. Oh, yeah.
Seem to be two in college.
Ah, completely different.
That 529 better be rolling in. Hence why I'm doing full Americas at 8.30 at night.
A double day. Listen, this is a safe space here in football Americas. We have a lot to bring down. Of course it's a safe space, especially when I'm involved. And Weston McKinney, by the way, coming up, we will talk about him, how he's staying hot in Italy. Also, CONCACAF is really making their way here to La Liga. A couple of very interesting moves.
Rodrigo Faes and Atlético de Madrid insider will join us to break it all down. But first, let's talk about a move that didn't happen maybe just yet. for Ricardo Pepe because the moving boxes will have to wait for him. He will stay at PSV after the winter transfer window.
Now, despite Fulham's interest to sign the striker in January, the deal fell through, but the Premier League side are expected to resume negotiations in the summer. According to Fabrizio Romano, Fulham agreed to pay a transfer fee of roughly $44 million, but the deal was also contingent on PSV's ability to replace Pepe, which of course is huge. As we know, recovering from that broken arm, but
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Chapter 2: Why did Ricardo Pepi's transfer to Fulham collapse?
They've got almost a 20-point lead in their division. What's the real reason? Well, this is what I'm getting to, Chris. I I think the only reason here is they said, well, hold on a second. Fulham's really going to pay us $43 million for this kid? What if he plays the World Cup and scores a goal or two? That's got to be the only reason because it doesn't make sense.
He's not going to be available until March if he's lucky. What are you banking on? Because you've already won the league pretty much. You're out of the Champions League. So what is it you're really holding on to?
Unless Ernie Stewart and company at PSV think, wait, if they're about to give us $43 million, if they're about to make this player one of the highest transfers in their history, what will somebody else give us if he has a decent World Cup? That's the only thing I can think of.
And then, look, we look at it from the perspective of the United States and full of Americas, and this is our part of the world, so I get it. Even from my perspective, from our perspective, it's kind of like, man, that's a lot of money for Ricardo Pepe. That's a lot of money for Ricardo Pepe.
Not because we don't think enough of the players, because you just have to evaluate what's going on and what is it that he has done and not done. Again, if this guy were starting every game and scoring goals all the time, I'm saying, all right, well, hey, that's his market, that's his market, and who am I to hate the market? Hey, go on capitalism, yay! But beyond that, you kind of go...
What's PSV doing? And are they taking a chance here? Are they betting on Ricardo Pepe? Are they betting on themselves that the market for Ricardo Pepe in the summer is gonna inflate his value even more? I don't know that that's a bet I would have taken had I been PSV. And as for Ricardo Pepe, I think for him, as it is for any player, when you think a move is done,
Mentally, there's a part of you that checks out. Mentally, you're thinking, my backs are going that way, I'm going that way, here we go. And you're thinking, all right, what is next in my career? And now, once he gets throttled back, the one good thing, and it never is a good thing, but in this case, it may work out, he's injured.
So it's not like whatever sulking he's doing, we're not gonna see it out on the field. It's not going to affect his performance on the field because now he'll have plenty of time to digest and process the information accordingly.
Yeah, Herc, I want to get to the World Cup of it all because obviously any of these moves, this is the natural conversation and what it means for the U.S. men's national team, like Ale just said, and Football Americas.
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Chapter 3: What impact does Pepi's transfer failure have on his career?
What could this mean for Pepe staying at PSV? How much could this hurt him not making the roster necessarily? but that starting 11 position where we know that lately it's been Balogun versus Pepe.
Ricardo Pepe isn't being hurt because he plays at PSV. He's being hurt because he's not playing and because the guy who is playing, Fallon Balogun, from the U.S. Men's National Team, has been scoring goals. Because Fallon Balogun, while they ran into a rough patch in Ligue 1, in the Champions League and other competitions, has been scoring goals.
Because he's proven right now that he combines the best with a Christian Pulisic, a Giovanni Reina, whoever's on the team. The team just looks better right now at the moment.
What league does Balogun play in? All right.
So that's what's hurting him right now. It's not PSV, because plenty of Americans have played in the ERA Divisie, called it a home, and been successful with the US Men's National Team. And if we're holding... Marisa Pochettino, to his words, and I think we should do that, then it shouldn't matter where you play. It matters how you perform in the U.S.
Men's National because that's what he's been telling us. And at least up until now, it's what he's been showing us with his selection.
Ricardo Pepe is going to be fine. I don't think his role with the national team was going to change one way or another, whether he was at Fulham or he's at PSV. I think he's got a role, and his role within the national team is a guy that will get opportunities late in matches to score a goal coming off the bench.
So not a starter?
No. I don't think he was ever going to be a starter.
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Chapter 4: How did Raul Jimenez achieve a perfect penalty record?
At least he said, okay, this is the situation now, but pay a little bit more to America. And thirdly, because Álvaro Fidalgo Maybe two years ago, I remember a conversation that we got in Mexico and he told me, you know, I don't want to be, you know, 30, 32 years old and haven't played for La Liga. I want to play there. That is my dream because indeed in Mexico, I won trophies.
I'm making history with America. He considers America amazing. and Mexico, his second land and his second house. But at the same time, he was dreaming of coming back to Spain and say to his Spanish audience, I'm here, I was born here, and I can do it here. So that is why now is the turn for Alvaro Fidalgo. He's a top lad. He's one of my closest friends indeed, but he's humble.
He wants to add his quality to Betis. He's going to train with one of the best Spanish talents, with Isco, Argentinian Lofelso, great players like Marroca, and he wants to help. He's not going to play as a starter 100% of the time, but at least he's there, and he's going to be there till 2030, which is, I think, a great bet from Betis. Álvaro Fidalgo TV over there.
Indeed.
So many different channels tonight. But I don't hide. Yeah.
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Chapter 5: What does Raul Jimenez's success mean for his future?
I mean, obviously, this is a great move for Fidalgo. And like Rodri said, America was his second home, but he did everything there at the Liga MX and club level as well. Does this help his case for El Tri here coming up on the World Cup?
Certainly doesn't hurt it. And as I'm playing for Club America in Mexico and being successful, helps your case for the national team. Playing at Real Betis won't certainly not hurt that. Unfortunately for Alvaro Fidalgo and Javier Aguirre, there is this sentiment that Too many naturalized players on the national team is a bad thing. So Javier Aguirre has a decision to make on how many he takes.
And I think, unfairly and justly, it will hurt Álvaro Fidalgo. Álvaro Fidalgo is a very good player in between the boxes. And he had to pay his dues in Liga de Mequis. He had to...
eat a lot of criticism, take a lot from people, be the scapegoat to situations when things weren't going well, and overcame that, won a three-peat, made four straight finals, and he leaves a very well-respected and well-liked individual. Some would even say club legend. I don't know if I'd go that far, but some would go that far. He's the main legend.
That wasn't me, but I could think that.
But I could see wanting to be known. I could see wanting to be known. He was in the Real Madrid Youth Academy. He played Champions League, but he never debuted in First Division. And it's, you're big in China. You're big in Japan type of deal. He wants to be big and known in one of the best leagues in the world.
And he knows he has Mexico, not as an option, but he has Mexico that he could try to win his spot. I think he's good enough to be on the Mexican national team in this World Cup, not just because of who he is, but I repeat, because of the player pool and who they aren't.
I think if you're Javier Aguirre, you have to make a very practical decision. And you put the names that you just mentioned not too long ago in terms of who's available in that midfield for Mexico, and you kind of go, well, you got Edson Alvarez, you mentioned Obed Vargas. the rest of that group that you mentioned, who's significantly better than Alvaro Fidalgo?
In fact, who's better than Alvaro Fidalgo? And so that's when I, if I'm Javier Aguirre, and I know that I'm light in that position, I know that I'm short in talent in that area of the field, then I have to say, yeah, I'm gonna take criticism either way. One way or another, people are gonna hate my decisions and they're gonna pick a bar on my decisions.
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