Great nicknames often develop in an organic fashion, but even when they do, they usually catch on and grow from an inciting moment. Perhaps a fan will speak it into existence. A coach or teammate will come up with the tag. Heck, the player themselves or even the media could generate it.
But many of these origins get lost in time.
Not lost in time is the origin of the “El Tren” nickname for Ricardo Pepi. I know exactly what the source of the nickname was, because it was me. It came in a tweet.
Specifically, this tweet.
The more I thought about it, the more I loved the name.
Specifically the Spanish version, El Tren. That’s the nickname. El Tren.
Why “El Tren” Works
The name worked well, I thought, in three ways.
1. All the hype around the kid – and there was loads of it, including from us – was real. The kid was for real. The hype train… was real. Everyone better get on board. He went from Academy to professional signing, to game-one hat-trick hero almost overnight at 16 years of age.
2. Due to his singular focus and determination, Pepi’s success seemed to me to be inevitable and unstoppable. The kid was going to get to the big time, and nothing was going to stop him. Just like you can’t stop a train.
3. Pepi plays in a train-like way, too. He’s direct and heads for the goal. He’s not wandering all over, taking a walkabout, or meandering his way up the field. He puts his head down, goes full speed ahead, and scores. He can and does steamroll teams, just like the tweet said.
A perfect fit, I thought. So I decided to run with it. After the first couple of uses, maybe even by the end of that 1st North Texas SC game, the name became organic.
Other people/fans/media began to use it, even the team. All credit to Pepi himself; people only care and use it cause he’s likable and talented. And he seemed to like the name too; I’m sure if Pepi hated it, it would have been shut down fast.
Plus there’s all the “choo choo,” “all aboard,” and great train GIFs that are a blast.
By the midpoint of that 2019 season, he signed Homegrown with FC Dallas. Then went on to win the USL-1 title and the Golden Boot. The nickname was cemented, and you know the rest of the story.
So there you have it. The origin of “El Tren.” Hopefully we get to see him in action at the World Cup, and he grabs some goals.
All aboard!
