Christian Pulisic and Ricard Pepi were named US Soccer Male Player of the Year and Young Male Player of the Year respectively on Saturday. 

Pulisic, who plays for the USMNT and Chelsea, won the player of the year honour for the third time, making him the joint highest-winner alongside Landon Donovan (four). Clint Dempsey and Kasey Keller have won the award three times each. Pulisic’s first two awards came in 2017 and 2019. 

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Ricard Pepi was also named the MLS Young Player of the Year award after making career-high 24 starts for FC Dallas. The 18-year-old finished the season as the MLS’ leading American scorer with 13 strikes.

Pulisic earned 31% of the vote while Pepi got 60%. Fans’ votes were given 15% weightage while the rest fell in the hands of US Soccer board and Athletes Council, MLS and USL head coaches, media members, select former players and administrators. 

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New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner was the player of the year runner-up with 21% and Red Bull Salzburg’s Brenden Aaronson came third with 15%.

 Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah (23%) and Venezia midfielder Gianluca Busio (11%) followed Pepi. 

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For his national team, Pulisic served as team captain four times and also scored three game-winning goals, including two against archrival Mexico. The Pennsylvania native put in a penalty kick in the CONCACAF Nations League final, and he scored on his first touch last month after coming off the bench in a World Cup qualifier.

The 18-year-old Pepi had a dynamic debut with the national team against Honduras in September, posting a goal and two assists in a 4-1 victory. He then scored two goals against Jamaica in October, cementing his status as one of the most promising young talents playing in the U.S. system.

With inputs from the Associated Press