USMNT captain Tim Ream justifiably called out Sergiño Dest over his embarrassing tantrum and red card

Dest had one of the uglier meltdowns we’ve seen.

The U.S. men’s national team qualified for the 2024 Copa America and advanced in the CONCACAF Nations League on Monday, but it certainly didn’t happen in the way the team would have preferred.

Heading into the second leg up 3-0 against 99th-ranked Trinidad & Tobago, the USMNT lost 2-1 and played much of the match down a man. The familiar score line and loss to Trinidad was embarrassing enough, but Sergiño Dest’s behavior on the field was on a different level of shameful.

Dest was shown a red card in the 39th minute after frustrations about officiating led to him kicking the ball towards the stands and shouting at the referee as his teammates desperately tried to calm the PSV defender down.

Though the USMNT was already playing an uninspired match, the team was up 1-0 at the time. Being forced to play a man down changed the entire dynamic of the game, and Trinidad responded with two unanswered goals. While the USMNT did hold on to the aggregate advantage, the players were visibly livid with Dest after the match.

Captain Tim Ream didn’t disclose what the players said to Dest in the locker room, but he didn’t hold back on his disappointment with Dest in the postgame press conference. You almost never see a player speak about a teammate like this, and in Ream’s case, he was totally justified for it.

Dest did apologize for his meltdown after the match, but that had to be one awkward flight back to the U.S. (and back to PSV with USMNT teammates Ricardo Pepi and Malik Tillman).

USMNT fans were also furious with Dest. He really had no excuse for that tantrum.

PSV’s USMNT trio made some history in a bad night at Arsenal

For the first time ever, three U.S. internationals shared the same UEFA Champions League pitch

For the first time ever, three U.S. internationals played in the same UEFA Champions League game. That is an accomplishment worth celebrating. As for the game itself? Much less so.

PSV trio Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi all shared the field on Wednesday, but the Dutch side was blown away in a 4-0 defeat to Arsenal to kick off both teams’ group-stage campaigns.

Dest played the full match, while Tillman came on midway through the second half and Pepi was introduced in second-half stoppage time.

In particular, it was a rough night for Dest, who tried and mostly failed to contain Bukayo Saka on the right side of Arsenal’s attack. The first and third goal for the Gunners could at least partially be blamed on Dest.

First, he completely switched off and allowed Saka to run past him and score on a rebound.

Dest would later get sucked inside and was unable to close down Gabriel Jesus quickly enough, as the Brazilian had plenty of time to take a touch and fire home Arsenal’s third goal.

After the game, PSV head coach Peter Bosz admitted that Arsenal’s superior quality was the difference, adding that his team did not defend well in its own box.

“[Our players] worked, they played with the ball, but the difference in quality was too great,” Bosz said.

“I’m willing to take a critical look at myself. They defended well in their box, we did not in ours. Then you run into a major defeat. If we play more at this level more, we’ll learn from these mistakes. I hope we can see that in the second leg in December, against the best team in the group and one of the best teams in the world.”

PSV will also face Lens and Sevilla in a difficult Group B.

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The Americans Abroad Five: Weston McKennie won’t go away quietly

From an afterthought just a couple months ago, McKennie is once again integral at Juventus

Weston McKennie admits he wasn’t exactly welcomed back to Juventus with open arms.

The midfielder left the club in January at the height of the Plusvalenza scandal, then proceeded to turn in a disappointing loan spell at Leeds. When he returned, there were reports Juventus was looking to offload him.

“You’re a starting player for one of the biggest clubs in the world, and you decide to leave [that] club at a time of crisis, you know?” McKennie said on Tim Ream’s The American Dream podcast last week. “It’s pretty natural. I came back and I felt like nobody really cared.”

From an afterthought just a couple months ago, McKennie has once again made himself integral to the Bianconeri. 

McKennie’s resurgence has come at a position he’ll admit isn’t his preferred spot on the field, but he has nevertheless shown that reports of his Juventus demise appear to have been greatly exaggerated.

We’ll kick off this week’s Five with McKennie’s breakout display on Saturday.

The Americans Abroad Five: PSV showing promise for USMNT trio

Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi should all be big factors for the Dutch giants this season

In the span of just a few months, PSV became one of the first clubs on the list of anyone monitoring Americans Abroad.

Three players who figure to play a key role over the next decade for the U.S. men’s national team — Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi — all joined the Dutch giants over the summer.

The transformation of PSV into a hub for Americans is largely due to Earnie Stewart, the former sporting director of U.S. Soccer who now holds the same position with PSV.

The season is still young, but there are some promising signs coming out of Eindhoven for all three USMNT players.

Dest looks to be the player who’s immediately benefitted the most, but Tillman and Pepi can also be encouraged by their first month at the club.

Let’s kick off this week’s Five with a look at PSV’s American trio.

USMNT players in UEFA Champions League 2023-24

11 U.S. players are in the world’s biggest club competition

There was once a time where a U.S. men’s national team player being on a Champions League squad list — even if they might have no shot at playing in any actual games — was a very big deal.

It’s safe to say those days are gone, with no fewer than 11 U.S. players on the books for clubs that qualified for this year’s competition.

Sure, in some cases the player in question is probably a major longshot to even dress on gameday, but between Christian Pulisic’s sublime start to life at AC Milan and a USMNT trio at PSV, USMNT fans are likely going to be watching games on multiple screens just to keep up.

Here is the complete list of U.S. men’s players to make it to this year’s Champions League proper:

After failing Barcelona test, Dest joins USMNT pals at PSV

The 22-year-old is heading on loan for a second straight season

After a disastrous loan at AC Milan last season, Sergiño Dest returned to Barcelona this summer with a clean slate. Just a couple months later, he’s on his way out again.

On Monday, Dest completed a season-long loan to PSV, with the Dutch power holding a reported €11 million option to make the move permanent.

Though the 22-year-old didn’t make a single appearance for AC Milan after January, he was given another chance to earn a spot with Barcelona ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

“[Barcelona manager Xavi] just told me, ‘I’ll give you a fair chance to prove yourself,’” Dest said last month. “He told me, ‘I think you have qualities, but it’s up to you, you have to show me.'”

Dest played in all three games of Barcelona’s U.S. tour, but hasn’t been seen on the field since. He now returns to the Eredivisie, where he came up through the ranks at Ajax before joining Barcelona in 2020.

Dest joins USMNT teammates at PSV

Dest is now the third U.S. men’s national team player to join PSV this summer, following Ricardo Pepi and Malik Tillman.

That is no coincidence, with Earnie Stewart now the Dutch club’s sporting director following a spell in the same position at U.S. Soccer.

“Sergiño Dest was keen to join us, which we obviously liked. He is a very skillful and creative defender who can help the team with his explosive power and attacking intentions.” Stewart said in a club release.

Dest added: “I like the style of football they play at PSV. I think it suits me very well. I return to the Netherlands. I’m still the same player but I’ve gained a lot of experience and I’ve hopefully acquired a higher efficiency.”

Dest was already named in PSV’s 22-man squad for Tuesday’s Champions League playoff first leg at Rangers. The winner of the two-leg tie will earn a spot in the competition’s group stage.

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Sergino Dest: ‘I see myself staying’ with Barcelona

Dest says he’s ready to fight for his place

Sergiño Dest’s summer plans are clear: the U.S. men’s national team defender wants to stay with Barcelona.

In quotes published by ESPN, Dest — who has accompanied Barça on the club’s U.S preseason tour — was unequivocal about wanting to battle for his place at the Camp Nou.

“Obviously, I have to prove myself during the preseason. I’m fully focused on myself at the moment, so it’s up to me and I feel like I can and I will prove it,” said Dest. “I see myself staying.”

At this time last year, Dest was linked to a move away from the club, but announced his preference to stay on.

That seemed to suit Barça at first, but amid their financial flailing at levers last summer, Dest was unceremoniously told to find some kind of move elsewhere.

Dest ended up on loan with AC Milan, where adequate playing time (if not a starting role) was available for a few months. However, by the time the winter transfer window closed, Milan had dropped Dest from its Champions League squad.

Dest’s final appearance in any competition with the Rossoneri came on January 24, and he wasn’t even in uniform for any of Milan’s final 13 Serie A matches.

Xavi to Dest: ‘You have to show me’

Meanwhile at Barcelona, there were no right backs that the club deemed ready to play.

Julián Araujo, after initially having his move rejected due to Barça missing the transfer deadline, eventually arrived only to be stationed with the club’s B team. It is never normal these days at Barcelona.

Jules Koundé, a center back, covered the spot throughout the season, and manager Xavi adjusted by playing an asymmetrical system. Alejandro Balde was urged to attack whenever possible from left back, while Koundé would move inside to create a temporary back three in possession.

Still, all parties would prefer a different solution: Koundé wants to be a more typical center back, while Xavi would seemingly prefer natural width from an attacking right back. Just one problem: Barça’s financial issues persist, so they can’t handle the problem with their normal “just buy a new one” approach.

Therein lies Dest’s opportunity.

Per the USMNT right back, a chat with Xavi essentially hit the reset button, giving the 22-year-old a new chance to prove himself as an option for the club.

“He just told me, ‘I’ll give you a fair chance to prove yourself,'” Dest said of Xavi. “He told me, ‘I think you have qualities, but it’s up to you, you have to show me,’ and I fully agree… I think I have some qualities that can be good for the team, but I have to show it and be consistent.”

Still, there is pressure. On Wednesday, Barcelona president Joan Laporta told Mundo Deportivo that Xavi had requested a new right back, and that (true to Barcelona’s “La Liga financial rules aren’t real” traditions) the club is trying to find one on the transfer market. Dest will have major work to do to persuade them that the solution is already in their hands.

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Could Sergino Dest actually be staying at Barcelona?

The club’s financial situation and lack of depth at right back could offer Dest another chance

It’s long been assumed that Sergiño Dest has no future at Barcelona.

Head coach Xavi made it abundantly clear last summer that he had no desire to see the U.S. national team right back continue at Camp Nou.

That was followed by Dest joining AC Milan on loan in a move that ultimately did not work out, to say the least. Dest made just eight league appearances for the Rossoneri, and his last appearance of any kind for the Italian club came in January.

Upon his return to Barcelona, the consensus was that Dest would be quickly sold by the La Liga champions. But a combination of the club’s dire financial situation and its thin depth chart at right back could offer the 22-year-old an unlikely route back into Xavi’s good graces.

Jules Kounde featured at right back for Barcelona last season, but the France international is naturally a center back. Sport reported this week that Barça is looking to sign a right back this summer, with Valladolid’s Iván Fresneda the top candidate. But as with any Barcelona signing these days, actually getting a deal done is somewhat complicated.

Enter Dest, who has returned to the club for preseason training.

Sport said that Xavi is willing to try Dest out in the preseason to see if he can prove his ability to help Barcelona this season. Should the USMNT right back fall short, he’d then be sold.

The report goes on to say that the Barça staff believes if Dest is “100 percent and focused, he can be a player who can contribute to the first team. Nobody has doubted his level, but they have doubts about tactical issues or consistency.”

A report from The Athletic echoed that message, saying that Dest’s “profile is interesting to [Barcelona], as a very fast player who can play on both sides of the defense. They believe that if the player is at 100 percent, his attributes are very useful to snuff out any problems from counter-attacks.”

Dest has been a regular at the Camp Nou before, making 30 league appearances in 2020-21 and 21 the following season. His stock may be down, but he appears to have a somewhat unexpected chance to once again be a key figure for the Spanish giants.

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McKennie, Dest suspended by CONCACAF after USMNT vs. Mexico Nations League brawl

CONCACAF took a dim view of the Nations League scuffle

CONCACAF would really rather not have wild brawls in its most high-profile matches.

That’s the takeaway after the confederation suspended players from the U.S. men’s national team and Mexico after a melee towards the end of the former’s 3-0 Nations League semifinal victory.

For the USMNT, Weston McKennie — whose red card was unsuccessfully appealed by U.S. Soccer — was given a three-game ban, while Sergiño Dest was handed a two-game suspension. El Tri, meanwhile, saw César Montes (three games) and Gerardo Arteaga (two games) receive similar punishments.

Per CONCACAF, all four suspended players served their automatic bans in Mexico’s victory over Panama in the Nations League’s third-place game and the USMNT’s 2-0 win over Canada in the competition’s final, respectively.

U.S. Soccer confirmed to Pro Soccer Wire that the suspensions can be served during the Gold Cup, regardless of the fact that McKennie and Dest are not on the roster for the tournament. That means both will be available when the Nations League returns this fall.

CONCACAF’s statement on the matter noted that both U.S. Soccer and the Mexican federation received fines for the general chaos involved in Las Vegas.

“Furthermore, the committee has imposed an undisclosed fine on both federations and warned them that more severe sanctions could be taken should incidents occur during their upcoming matches in CONCACAF national team competitions,” said the confederation’s statement announcing the disciplinary measures.

The USMNT’s victory came in a match that finished nine-on-nine, with tensions boiling over after Montes hauled off and kicked Folarin Balogun’s legs out from under him. Montes was given a straight red card even as the teams scuffled, while McKennie ended up with a badly torn jersey and (eventually) a red card of his own.

Dest and Arteaga, meanwhile, got their marching orders in the 85th minute after both got into a shoving match over a throw-in.

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The Americans Abroad Five season review: The best and worst of 2022-23

Some teams were fun, some very much weren’t. Some players broke out, while others broke down

With the European club season in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to take stock of the year that was for Americans Abroad.

In many ways, 2022-23 felt like a preamble, a precursor to a much more significant club season to come. For the future of the U.S. men’s national team, what comes next will be more significant than what came before.

That’s because so many vital USMNT players are unsettled due to the nature of their 2022-23 campaign — some are ready to move up the food chain due to standout seasons, while others need a change of scenery for less positive reasons.

Before we turn the page to next season, let’s take a look back by handing out a few accolades for some notable Americans Abroad.