Dest’s red fog leaves Berhalter in a dilemma
When Gio Reyna, of all players, is the voice of reason urging his teammate to calm down, put aside his frustration, and act less cranky, you know there’s serious trouble.
The immediate effect of Sergiño Dest’s two yellow cards for dissent in Monday’s Concacaf Nations League quarter-final second leg against Trinidad & Tobago was that the momentum shift dragged a comfortable night into a 2-1 defeat.
The score didn’t matter much as the USMNT was up 3-0 from the first leg last Thursday in Austin. The more important question is whether head coach Gregg Berhalter can still trust the right-back after his second disgruntled game in five months.
Furious at being denied a free kick, which he had previously thought was a foul, Dest launched the ball into the air with the thrust of a SpaceX rocket, for which he received a yellow card. He then spoke harshly to referee Walter López and received his second yellow card. and I blew him a kiss. This caused the US players to focus on the teammate who received the red, rather than the referee who threw the red. Defender Tim Ream challenged Dest and goalkeeper Matt Turner pushed him off the field.
“Baby behavior,” commented former US stalwart DaMarcus Beasley in the studio. He is now an expert on TNT, which is both a television channel and an explanation of Dest’s powder keg temperament. Was this temporary frenzy caused by the incessant ringing of cowbells from fans in the stands of Hasely Crawford Stadium? Or is this Dest? Will a volcano erupt with your team leading 4-0 on aggregate?
Dest was also dismissed in June for shoving an opponent in the 85th minute after reacting angrily to some rough moves on the wing during the Nations League win over Mexico, another advantageous scenario. He then made an assist, just like on Monday.
Berhalter removed Reyna and brought on Dest’s substitute Joe Scally, but T&T quickly equalized and won the match with a humdinger in the 57th minute. In the end, the away team had the chance to lose by just one goal.
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A sad situation should limit the damage
A year after the dispute with Reyna went nuclear, creating months of radioactive fallout, Berhalter once again finds himself needing to assert his authority over an undisciplined but talented young actor. Things won’t be that complicated this time, and other players have made their opinions about Dest’s behavior very clear. “It was a moment of unprofessionalism,” left back Antonee Robinson told TNT.
Dest “apologized to the group”, Berhalter told reporters. He said it wouldn’t happen again. “As a team, players and staff we have to hold him accountable because this is inexcusable, it really is and we were very firm in our words after the game.”
Koç added that he did not want a “witch hunt”. He’s a great part of this team. He will learn and grow. He made a stupid mistake and he knows it. He apologized to the team and we will move on.”
At least the guilt Dest said on Instagram was as sincere as the tantrum. He apologized to “the entire nation” and added: “I let my team down in a selfish and immature way! This is something I have to learn from and it won’t happen again!”
Dest’s offensive prowess sets him apart from Berhalter’s other options at right-back. But as word spreads among future rivals that Dest is a fuse waiting to be lit, the head coach will surely be keeping an even closer eye on 20-year-old Scally’s progress in the Bundesliga in the coming months.
It’s hard to understand Dest’s absent-minded behavior, although he’s been that way for the United States lately with his poor showing at left back against Germany in October. He is 23 years old, has 32 caps and little experience. The player, who plays for PSV Eindhoven in his native Netherlands, on loan from Barcelona, plays regularly in a team that has won all 12 league matches in the Champions League. He has rarely received a yellow card for PSV this season and has only received a single yellow card.
Bilateral debate continues
Sweet and sour, rain and shine, fire and ice, Balogun and Pepi. Until last week, it was either this: Folarin Balogun replaced Ricardo Pepi in each of the previous six games. However, in the first match against T&T the forwards played with Pepi coming on in the 66th minute and both started up front on Monday.
With the game sorely wounded by Dest’s departure, it was difficult to draw any conclusions as to whether the pair could form a profitable partnership in the future. Balogun wandered for space slightly behind Pepi, who was more of a traditional target man but failed to get a single shot in 65 minutes. More evidence is needed.
However, it seems clear that Reyna will be an integral part of Berhalter’s tactics should he decide to do without a defensive midfielder to provide the USA with an attack sharp enough to hurt high-caliber tournament opponents. The fire emoji playmaker scored in the first leg of the quarter-final and impressed again with his masterful passes in the second leg. And he’s fit, at least for now. Last Thursday’s game was Reyna’s first full game for club or country since March 2022, following 51 consecutive matches in which he was substituted or substituted.
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home comfort
This was the USMNT’s first return to Trinidad since 2017. Let’s say the match ended 2-1 with the home team and there was a shot from distance. Alvin Jonesand leave it at that. The next four meetings, all held in the United States, brought four American victories by a combined margin of 22-0. Last week in Austin, the USA had 75% possession and outscored T&T 26 to one.
Claiming home advantage in Concacaf competitions is not new news, but is it surprising that the USA is home this much? This was the USA’s 18th game of 2023 and their second away game. (The other was a 7-1 victory in March against Grenada, an island of 125,000 people.) Of course, players often face hostile and unfamiliar environments associated with their clubs. However, not being exposed to the tactical and practical challenges that come with road games certainly affects the team’s resilience.
It’s not like it will matter much in the next few years; There is no 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign because the USA is automatically included as co-host and next year’s Copa América, like every Gold Cup, is held in the USA. And indeed the 2028 Olympic Games.
Dealing with the Copa
The 4-2 aggregate victory over T&T means the USA has qualified for next summer’s Copa. Meanwhile, Tuesday marks exactly twelve months since the United States opened the World Cup with a 1-1 draw against Wales. Will the USA enter the Copa as a tougher team than the one in Qatar?
Balogun and an in-form Pepi are certainly an upgrade over the forwards the US took to Qatar, and a mature and healthy Reyna promises to add an extra creative dimension. Tyler Adams’ long-term injury is a concern, but Berhalter’s key players Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah and Robinson are still performing well and logging minutes for their clubs.
Things can change quickly, though. Just a month ago Turner returned to England. perfect save Defeated Ghana 4-0. Two games later his club was relegated by Nottingham Forest and indeed he should have saved Jones’ free-kick on Monday.
Although Cameron Carter-Vickers has started both matches, Berhalter still appears to be trialling centre-backs and is understandably still opting for the venerable Ream, who will be 38 when the 2026 World Cup kicks off. Malik Tillman and Kevin Paredes will get more chances, but they did not get the opportunity to impress against T&T in the absence of Pulisic and Weah due to injury, who were clearly missed. On this evidence, Robinson is indispensable, scoring goals in both legs and being the driving force in many attacks.