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.
SERGINO DEST RED CARD. Football's equivalent of emotionally replying to a work email. 🟥pic.twitter.com/NbLy4mGFS5
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) November 21, 2023
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.
“Overall, it's a complete lack of respect for the guys that are playing, for the guys that are on the bench”
Tim Ream on Sergino Dest’s red card after the USMNT’s defeat to Trinidad.
(h/t @sluggahjells) pic.twitter.com/BAS9whK07N
— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) November 21, 2023
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.
This was how Twitter reacted
Tim Ream is an absolute leader. https://t.co/Pz4N81TgxO
— Anthony Serafino (@SerafinoProduce) November 21, 2023
Imagine if this was Tyler Adams or Michael Bradley or Clint Dempsey that Dest talks back to on his way to the locker room… pic.twitter.com/NU1XV9Jz4G
— Ben Wright (@benwright) November 21, 2023
Thinking Tim went easy on him. Dest’s display of petulance (with the ref already holding a yellow) is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen in soccer. All over a a meaningless out-of-bounds call, too? Just stupid. #USMNT https://t.co/KOBw98JqXX
— Eliott C. McLaughlin (@ByEliott) November 21, 2023
— herculez gomez (@herculezg) November 21, 2023
Gio Reyna waving goodbye to all his problems and problem child reputation thanks to Sergiño Dest pic.twitter.com/pGnCPgrjF0
— Luis Miguel Echegaray (@lmechegaray) November 21, 2023
Would simply never call up Dest again.
Screwing over your teammates like that…everyone immediately loses respect for you. Utter clown behavior. pic.twitter.com/IuHISBrHfR
— EiF (@EiFSoccer) November 21, 2023
Sergino Dest with one of the most embarrassing moments of the season here 🫣pic.twitter.com/k8jWhRyKtQ
— tomhwilliams23 (@tomhwilliams23) November 21, 2023
It takes a lot of time to build respect…it takes just a second to lose it.
Sergiño Dest made a brainless error in yesterday’s match against Trinidad & Tobago. He’s shown a lot of promising signs on loan at PSV, but clearly needs to mature at 23. pic.twitter.com/9YHzVTjxIN
— Zach Lowy (@ZachLowy) November 21, 2023
I would be completely ok with him being entirely left off the roster next window. This is bigger than a simple lapse of judgement. He blatantly went against ALL his teammates. Cmon Dest.
Might need to change my profile header. pic.twitter.com/0tXaO3IY8G
— USMNTrev (@Eyesandvibes) November 21, 2023
