As the United States men’s national team prepares to kick off the Concacaf Nations League semifinals facing Panama at SoFi stadium on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on Paramount+, Mauricio Pochettino will have to overcome the players who won’t be available for the match. Names like Antonee Robinson, Johnny Cardoso and Auston Trusty won’t be healthy enough to join the squad despite being named to the roster, but there are also other members of the squad who were left out such as Folarin Balogun and right back Sergino Dest.
Dest officially returned to the pitch for PSV in the beginning of March after recovering from an ACL tear. That injury has sidelined him since April of 2024, but as of March 8, Dest is now back in the fold, coming off the bench in a 2-1 victory over Heerenveen, replacing fellow American Richard Ledezma. He has made one other appearance for the Dutch club starting a match in a victory over RKC Waalwijk and was able to make it 62 minutes in that match.
Why isn’t Dest with the USMNT?
Despite being back in the fold for PSV, when the USMNT roster was announced, Dest wasn’t on it but that’s also something that makes sense. Only playing 85 minutes of soccer in the past year, his fitness is best served remaining with PSV during this international window instead of pushing to play for the USMNT too quickly. Dest was one of the first names on the teamsheet under Gregg Berhalter and his style also fits how Pochettino wants to play, but it’s important to not push a player too quickly.
Joe Scally has been a more than competent stand-in at right back during Dest’s absence and still gives the USMNT a good chance to win this tournament. When Tyler Adams was injured, it was important to make sure that the USMNT were balancing his recovery at Bournemouth with international responsibilities, and now he’s back to make his first appearance under Pochettino. That’s a similar scenario to Dest.
Pochettino has stressed wanting to keep good relationships with clubs and that is something that could go a long way in the future. With the Gold Cup during the summer, Pochettino will also still have a chance to see Dest in a competitive environment ahead of the World Cup, so while 2026 is getting closer by the day, it doesn’t mean that he’s running out of time to figure out his best roster.
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