Sergino Dest missed most of the 2024-25 European season due to a torn ACL but admits he is back and ready to go for the U.S. men’s national team.
Dest is on the verge of making his first USMNT appearance since November 2023 as Mauricio Pochettino’s squad prepares to face South Korea on Saturday. The PSV fullback has returned to full action for the reigning Eredivisie champions, scoring two goals and adding two assists in five competitive starts this summer.
After being reduced to only seven appearances last season, Dest confirmed his improving strength after featuring in all five of PSV’s matches this campaign.
“I’ve seen some things and some moments in the field that I was like, okay, I’m back,” Dest told reporters Friday from USMNT camp. “I’m still searching because it’s difficult. Whenever you’re back after an injury like that you need a couple more months to fully feel free again because the first couple games for me I saw in some change of directions I just needed some more time. But now I’m still getting stronger, stronger and stronger, so I feel better and better.”
Dest featured in PSV’s final four league matches of the 2024-25 season, helping Peter Bosz’s men recapture the Eredivisie title in dramatic fashion. Ajax’s late-season collapse paired with PSV’s strong run to end the season led to the American full back lifting his third trophy for the club and fifth overall at the senior level.
The USMNT could’ve used Dest’s services at the CONCACAF Gold Cup earlier this summer, but the American believes a lack of consistent training sessions last spring hurt those chances to feature in the tournament.
“We had like eight, nine days off and I did some training sessions, but not too much,” Dest said. “I wanted to relax, as well, a little bit because I thought I would be good. And then I came back and then I was surprised and I think the whole staff was surprised, all my power, I just lost like a lot of my power in my right leg, so it wasn’t safe for me anymore to be on the pitch.”
Having a healthy and confident Dest back in the USMNT squad is a major boost for the program, especially heading into 2026. The 24-year-old has earned 33 senior caps to date and remains the top right back option in the current player pool.
Dest’s strong two-way abilities make him one of the top full backs in CONCACAF, if not the best, and both Pochettino and goalkeeper Matt Freese fully believe in him.
“He [Dest] is a player with the flexibility to play high,” Pochettino said during his press conference on Friday. “[He] has the capacity to go forward and beat players, score goals.”
“He’s [Dest] unbelievable with the ball,” Freese told reporters. “It’s kind of an old-school type of ability with the ball at his feet. You can give the ball to him and he’s going to be able to get out of every situation.”
Good interview with Rog on Men in Blazers, it’s on youtube
With him Jedi and Richards we have a really solid back line. The only issue is who plays next to Richards. Ream, Makenzie, CCV or?
Ideally Banks wins the starting job at Augsburg and is named Bundesliga Young Player of the Year (and doesn’t switch to Germany).
If I were the coach (and clearly I’m not) I would have started to look at Weston as a CB with the usmnt.
Why..
Best chance to get your best 11 on the field at the same time
Too early to give up on Musah, & I think there’s others that can play there
Good in the air, Can pass, Can run yada yada yada
Options opposite Richards;
Ream, ageless wonder, appreciate him, but against world cup level no more
Miles never recovered from his peak after injury
CCV too flat footed
Trusty too unproven
MacKenzie athletic, but no
Zimmerman not any more
Geoff Cameron used up all remaining eligibility
Maldini unavailable
Or I’d have a serious look at Scally.
The other CB opposite Richard’s is the weakest spot (assuming everyone is healthy) on this team
Bac: maybe not so much Scally because he’s at least a defender and I think done some 3 CB work for his club. Having Wes play out of position at a WC when he’s not playing CB week in week out would be a really tough ask. Asking him to take on world class strikers when he’s doesn’t do that or practice that in his usual routine? I say know to that. Do you remember how bad Jermaine Jones was when JK tried him at CB?
I do remember him playing Jermaine there, he didn’t look too bad when he was in a 4 man backline, but when he put him in the middle of a back 3 it was freakin disaster! And that’s being generous.
I agree Weston would be a stretch, I just have very little confidence in that weakest spot on the team opposite of Richards
CCV? Nah. Seems likely it will be Ream.
An added thought, that may be a long shot or spot on, who knows? SDFC took their first draft choice, a defensive mid, and have turned him into a CB. He’s only 21 or so and made mistakes his first couple of games, but he’s tall, has the physical tools and passes well because of his background in the midfield. Could be a sleeper in the future. His name is Manu Duah. Only thing is, he was born in Ghana, but I think he went to high school in the US before college and don’t know if he will become a US citizen or what his nationality status is. My internet search couldn’t answer those questions.
I could only confirm he went to high school in Los Olivos. Probably not enough time to get in the discussion for ‘26. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ghana tries to get him in soon. If he had US eligibility he’d be age available for the U20 WC.
Good to have him back.