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North Texas Soccer Club Signs Forward Ricardo Pepi as Club's First Player

December 6, 2018 - United Soccer League One (USL1) - North Texas SC News Release

Dallas, Texas - North Texas Soccer Club has signed FC Dallas Academy forward Ricardo Pepi to a four-year contract, pending league and U.S. Soccer Federation approval.

Pepi, 15, has 19 goals in eight appearances for the FC Dallas U-17 Academy team this season. He joined to the FCD Academy in 2016 from the club's youth affiliate in his native El Paso. Eligible for both the U.S. and Mexico National Teams, he recently appeared three times as the youngest member of the U.S. U-17 National Team at the 2018 Nike Friendlies, scoring the game-winner in a 1-0 result over Turkey.

"It's exciting that Ricardo Pepi is our first signing for North Texas SC," said FC Dallas President Dan Hunt. "This is a player with an incredible nose for the goal and someone who does the right things, loves this club and was willing and able to commit his future to us. One day we want to see him scoring goals for the first team at FC Dallas but hopefully along the way here he scores a lot of goals for North Texas SC."

During the 2016-17 Academy season, he appeared in 15 games and scored 18 goals for U-13 Academy team and scored 12 goals in 13 appearances for the U-14 Academy. Last year, Pepi moved up to the U-16s, where he appeared in 14 games and scored five goals.

Pepi is the 26th Academy-product signed to a professional contract by the FC Dallas organization and the first to utilize the new USL League One development pathway.

Transaction: North Texas SC signs forward Ricardo Pepi to a four-year contract on Dec. 6, 2018.

Name: Ricardo Pepi

Pronunciation: PEHP-ee

Position: Forward

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 170 lbs.

Date of Birth: Sept. 12, 2003

Age: 15

Hometown: El Paso, TX

Country: USA

Last Club: FC Dallas Academy

How Acquired: Signed on Dec. 6, 2018

About North Texas Soccer Club

North Texas Soccer Club is a USL League One franchise owned and managed by FC Dallas. The team was founded in 2018 and, as one of USL League One's 10 founding members, will play its inaugural season in 2019. North Texas SC will play the majority of its home matches at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX and select games at various locations across the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

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