St. Louis City striker Damion Downs has been called up to the USMNT after Ricardo Pepi sustained an injury eight minutes into PSV's match against FC Twente.
St. Louis City striker Damion Downs has replaced Ricardo Pepi on the United States men’s national team roster for the upcoming international break, ESPN reports. Pepi, 23, was forced out of Mauricio Pochettino's 28-man squad after sustaining an injury just eight minutes into PSV Eindhoven's match against FC Twente on Sunday. Downs, 22, will report to the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Georgia on Monday.
Downs has earned six caps for the Americans and notably converted the winning penalty in a shootout against Costa Rica during the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. His most recent appearance for the national team occurred in June 2025 against Switzerland. The forward could potentially play at his home club venue, Energizer Park, when the U.S. faces Chile in St. Louis on Sept. 29.
The USMNT schedule includes a Sept. 26 match against Peru in Florida, followed by an Oct. 3 meeting with Mexico in Arizona and an Oct. 6 fixture against Canada in Minnesota. Pochettino’s forward line is currently without Folarin Balogun and Christian Pulisic, though 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan remains a notable inclusion in the attack. Balogun recently returned as a substitute for Monaco, while Pulisic scored for Milan against Lecce following an absence.
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