Eight weeks after Sergino Dest suffered a knee injury with Dutch side PSV, the American defender made his long-awaited return on Saturday.
Dest came off the bench and played the final 30 minutes in PSV’s 2-2 road Eredivisie draw with Ajax. The U.S. men’s national team fullback had been out of action since suffering a knee injury back on March 7.
Ricardo Pepi opened the scoring for Peter Bosz’s men in the opening minute, heading home Yarek Gasiorowski’s cross for his 17th goal of the season in all competitions.
However, Ajax would tie things up only 10 minutes later as Anton Gaaei finished off Mika Godts’ assist into the back of the net.
Myron Boadu looked to have given PSV a winning goal with 13 minutes to play but Ajax used a stoppage-time equalizer from Godts to steal one point at the death.
Pepi played 72 minutes in his outing, continuing a productive 2026 at club level. He has now scored in three-consecutive matches while netting seven goals in the new year overall.
As for Dest, his return is a positive sign for USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who could name him in his FIFA World Cup roster in 24 days time.
PSV will close its domestic campaign with a road trip to Go Ahead Eagles on May 10 before hosting FC Twente in its season finale on May 17.
Johnnyrazor,
“I’d still bring Gio as #26 but I don’t think Poch will, based on how blah Gio was in March.”
This past March window, the USMNT, as a whole, was blah, at best.
So, using your “Gio logic,” does that mean Pochettino will not bring any players to the World Cup that were part of the March window?
None of this happens in a vacuum. It’s not just what they’ve done for the NT as IV suggests or the 26 players who had the best last 3 games like 2tone wants.
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Gio hasn’t performed for his club in years but has been fairly productive for NT. Last time he even doubted his own callup and then performed poorly. His bonus, we don’t really have another player with his attributes if he’s playing well. We’ll see in three weeks.
“just keep fresh legs before World Cup”
Dest was hurt March 7.
He recovered and finally played 30 minutes Saturday.
PSV has 2 games left. With the title already clinched there is no need to rush Dest back.
If they play him at all, most likely the most amount of time he will get in those two games is maybe 45-60 minutes just to stretch him out and help him get ready for the World Cup. That adds up to 30 + 45 + 45 = 120 minutes
1. Dest will arrive at the World Cup camp most likely having played about 120 minutes since March 7.
Since March 7, 2026 Gio Reyna has played 39 minutes. He played the last 14 minutes today vs. BVB in Gladbach’s 1-0 win. That adds up to 53 minutes. They also have two games left. Let’s assume Gio gets 15 minutes in each game.
2. Gio could arrive at the World Cup camp most likely having played about 83 minutes since March 7.
If Dest has about 30 minutes more PT in the last roughly two month span is he less rusty than Gio?
Why is Dest defined as “fresh legs” while Gio is ” not playing” or “rusty” ?
If you leave out both of them because they have not played enough recently, who is more replaceable?
V: you’re just trying to be argumentative. There’s a big difference between you were rehabbing an injury and your coach is choosing some fairly pedestrian players in front of you. I’d still bring Gio as #26 but I don’t think Poch will, based on how blah Gio was in March.
JR,
Argumentative? You either agree with me or you don’t. I’m using Dest’s case to support the argument you yourself have recently made for Gio to make a point.
Why leave Gio out? Supposedly because he isn’t playing at his club, a Pochettino requirement. That did not stop Pochettino back in March.
If you aren’t playing at your club it’s because:
A. You’re hurt and or unfit
B. You’re not as good as the guys ahead of you
C. You don’t fit the manager’s “vision”
A. HURT
Gio has been hurt but he’s recovered and is fit enough to be dressed and sit on the bench and play in garbage time.
B. GOOD AS
It is hard to prove your worth if you are just getting 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there. This is linked to VISION.
C. VISION
As you said yourself in previous posts, Gio’s current manager did not bring him in and does not see him as a fit for their current “avoid relegation” mode. Gio is surplus. So this may not necessarily be a case of Gio being more “pededestrian” than the guys in front of him. It seems like more of a case where the manager wants to go with and develop “his” guys. This is not uncommon.
+ “There’s a big difference between you were rehabbing an injury and your coach is choosing some fairly pedestrian players in front of you.”
Not in this case. Dest will have missed two months and is unlikely to be in ideal “game shape”.
If I’m reading this right it means Dest will likely come to WC camp just about as fit and sharp as Gio. And if Dest’s “fitness” is not an impediment to being on the WC roster, then neither should Gio’s.
Regardless, it doesn’t matter if Gio is not “as good” as the pedestrians at Gladbach. Your argument, which I agree with, is that Gio’s exclusion there is more about “fit” rather than skill or talent.
The question is, is Gio better than the midfielders at the USMNT?
When Pochettino broke his own rule in March to bring in Gio it was because Gio was “special for the USMNT”.
It is pretty clear that USMNT Gio, even now, is a very different animal from Germany Gio.
And I think he’ll apply the same logic to Dest as well.
FOR CONTEXT in case anyone doubts the importance of Gio & Sergino
Dest
37 caps, 2 goals, 6 assists, G/A per game 0.22
Gio
36 caps, 9 goals, 6 assists, G/A per game 0.42
Pulisic
84 caps, 32 goals, 19 assists, G/A per game 0.61
I don’t know if Gio & Dest will make it.
Pochettino risks having two frontline players who will, in theory, be of questionable fitness.
On the other hand being more “rested” and “fresher” than the 24 others who will be beat to shit could be an advantage.
We shall see.
JR, barring injury, Gio will be on the final roster.
V: Ok
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Tele: do you think so? In March even Gio told the press he was surprised to be called in.
Tele57,
If Malik was a perfect like for like replacement for Gio, Gio would be out.
But Malik doesn’t replicate what Gio does so that’s why I think Gio may make it.
Tillman is that vertical engine who arrives late in the box to score. Reyna operates a little deeper as a creative architect who dictates the tempo from deeper or wider areas.
JR, I think Poch decided Gio would be on the roster the camp before last when he excelled. I think he decided same for Weston the camp when they played Australia. Remember, there were people were saying McKennie was a bubble player at that point. So yes, I do think Gio already has a roster spot if healthy.
This is quite literally a NON-argument…
Apples and (Dutch) oranges
He played well too… just keep fresh legs before World Cup