USMNT

The Case for Sergino Dest

Published

8 years ago

March 8, 2019

The Case for Sergino Dest… in a USMNT Senior Shirt….RIGHT NOW

Sergiño Dest is an absolute baller. For those not familiar with the 18-year-old Jong Ajax RB’s game, @USMNTVideos has recent archives, and you can find his U-20 CONCACAF highlights from this past November — where he shone on both sides of the ball in the elimination round – sprinkled across various internet outlets.

The highlights may not paint the bigger picture, which we can summarize curtly: he probably has a higher ceiling than any USYNT fullback or winger ever. He can dribble, defend, pass, cross, make deep runs and even shoot better than most American players in the senior pool. The only debate on whether we need him in a USMNT senior shirt is…when? And if Berhalter gets the relationship or the timing wrong, Dest may be wearing Dutch orange.

Well, we should no longer be having this debate. Dest should be called into the senior USMNT right now, or – at minimum – for the Gold Cup. Below is a comprehensive breakdown of why we need him now, and how we will lose him soon to the Dutch if we do not act quickly.

Disagree? Argue away on @DisgruntleUSMNT.

He is playing football against (arguably) better competition than Major League Soccer (MLS). The same USMNT traditionalists who applauded Benny Feilhaber and Dax McCarty’s inclusion in our ill-fated October 2017 squad will say that Dest should not be called-in because “he is not getting first-team minutes.” Depending on who is making this argument, it ranges from disingenuous to downright ignorant.

The disingenuous who cite this lack of first team minutes realize the Ajax senior team might be one of the 10 best in the world right now, having just dispatched Real Madrid from Champions League to reach the Quarterfinals of the competition for the first time since 2003. In all likelihood, not a single American would start for Ajax’s senior team, and only a select few would even see minutes. Of the clubs where Americans are actively playing, none have a first team with near the number of quality international players as Ajax. Why should Dest’s form be measured by not playing amidst these superstars by age 18?

The ignorant contingent might not appreciate that Jong Ajax is not *really* a reserve team. Yes, their roster consists entirely of U-23 players, but they compete in the Dutch 2^nd division against primarily full senior teams. There are only three other “Jong” (U-23) teams in this division, two of whom, Utrecht & AZ, are likely to get relegated. (The third is the U-23 junior affiliate of PSV Eindhoven, the Netherlands’ other football powerhouse.) When you consider Jong Ajax is 9^th in the 20-team table and has scored the fourth-most goals of any club, you can see that Sergiño Dest is starting on what is a very competent professional team.

There is no reasonable way to measure how the Dutch 2^nd Division compares to MLS, but given the US domestic league’s recent performances in CONCACAF Champions League, this is not the time for the pro-MLS contingent to be bullish. We think we can reasonably conclude that Dest would be starting for at least 75% of MLS clubs right now, probably all of them.

So, if we are comfortable that he is playing at a level comparable to many of his USMNT peers, what are the unique drivers that warrant his call-up?

Sergino Dest is more skilled than probably anyone in the current USMNT senior pool. A Uruguayan-American friend has watched USMNT with me for over a decade and has consistently made the same observation, even as our more talented younger generation has appeared on the field of late: the United States needs more Futsal players.

I do not know whether Sergiño Dest was ever a Futsal player, but it’s enough that he plays like one. His feet are quick, and his calculated movements appear almost nonchalant. He can beat opposing players, as he did Mexico’s Diego Lainez in the U-20 CONCACAF qualifying final, in a humiliating fashion. This is surely welcome to a fan base in a country that loves flamboyant NBA dunks and graceful, toe-tapping NFL sideline catches. Does anyone believe these types of skills are in adequate supply within USMNT senior team pool, especially as we debate capping players like Corey Baird and Jonathan Lewis for the March friendlies?

Lastly, Sergino Dest can defend. Like really well. So his offensive skills do not create a gap there.

Positional Play

His versatility is a great fit for USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter’s system. All signs from Gregg Berhalter’s first camp as USMNT Manager – some surprise starters, in-game adjustments against Costa Rica that turned the tide of the game, player interviews after the camp – point to him and his staff being extremely tactical.

After January, USMNT pundits crowed about the “inverted RB” or “Nick Lima role,” but that was likely a function of the players he had in the camp. Whether we see that formation again is irrelevant; the more important takeaway is that we should expect Berhalter to make tactical line-up adjustments based on player availability and quality/style of opponent. Dest is a huge asset because he can play RB, LB or either winger spot, which can offset the need to call-in multiple, purpose-built bench players.

What do we mean? Consider that USMNT RB mainstay DeAndre Yedlin is suddenly not starting at Newcastle, Antonee Robinson looks to have lost his LB spot at Wigan during injury, Tim Weah and Jonathan Amon are consistently unused subs, etc. Across multiple spots in a USMNT Starting XI right now, there is risk to a player’s form dipping and back-ups needing to be called into action. Traditionally, this would have meant naming multiple back-ups – like Reggie Cannon, Baird, Lima, Jorge Villafana – who can really only excel in one position (excel being used loosely here).

At a minimum, Sergino Dest could be a super sub for as many as 4-5 spots on the field depending on a Berhalter configuration.

Sergino Dest at Ajax

Ajax is a major pipeline for the Dutch National team, whose RB situation is unsettled right now. After missing both the 2016 European Championships and 2018 World Cup, the Dutch national team showed a resurgence last fall by winning their 3-team UEFA Nations League group with Germany and France. The interesting part about their renaissance is that it’s not being driven by youth. Of the regular Starting XI from their Nations League matches, the only consistent starters under the age of 25 were PSV winger Steven Bergwijn (21), and two regulars from Ajax’s senior team: CB Matthijs de Ligt (19) and Barcelona-bound Frankie de Jong (21).

The appointment of these three players is consistent with a Dutch soccer tradition dating back to time immemorial: the biggest clubs in the Netherlands are key pipelines to the senior Dutch National team. (Moving to a bigger European club has also proven to be a rite of passage for the best Dutch players, as de Jong just did.) Within the Dutch senior team picture, two details are most interesting for Sergino Dest – and perhaps nerve-wracking for USMNT fans:

Firstly, many Ajax and PSV youngsters are called into National team duty after limited first-team club minutes. De Ligt, for example, was cap-tied at age 17 after just two Ajax first-team appearances. If Sergino Dest makes a spring-time appearance for Ajax’s first team – he already has a senior team contract – does Dutch Manager Ronald Koeman reach-out?

He might do so if he thinks that his team has a RB crisis on their hands, which they well might. At a minimum, the spot appears up for grabs. Consider that, in the four (4) Nations League matches they played last fall, RB duties were split between two players:

Kenny Tete, a 23-year-old at Lyon who got his first senior team appearance in 2015 after featuring only briefly for Ajax’s senior team. Since last fall, he has been out of favor, having appeared in only five (5) Ligue One games and not making the bench for European games.
Denzel Dumfries, a 22-year-old from PSV whose Nations League appearances for The Orange were his first at any level; he represented Aruba as a youth. He does not appear to be a regular first-choice RB for PSV, having made only 12 appearances this season.

If these overtures cause panic in USMNT supporters, some (slight) relief comes in the form of two additional Ajax data points:

Joel Veltman was club and country’s first-choice RB prior to having a serious knee injury in August 2018, from which he is due to return in the spring. He will likely be given the chance to earn his starting spot(s) back, which should push Dest further down in the pecking order.
With so much talent in Ajax’s system, the Dutch cannot grab ALL the talent, and some Dutch-born players do defect. Attacking midfielder Hakim Ziyech and current starting RB Noussair Mazraoui, for example, were both born in the Netherlands but now represent Morocco. Ziyech, 25, played at the 2018 World Cup, while Mazraoui, 21, became cap-tied this past fall through an Africa League of Nations Qualifier.

Guest post from: @DisgruntleUSMNT

USMNT

The Next USMNT Star That Never Was: Revisiting America’s Biggest Teenage Prospects

Published

2 days ago

September 25, 2026

Marcus O'Malley

Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)

With the next wave of highly rated teenagers likely to be brought into the #USMNT during the 2030 World Cup cycle, I decided to look back at some of the young players who were once hyped as the next stars of the U.S. Men’s National Team but never established themselves as regular internationals.

Freddy Adu would seem to be at the top of this list. While he never became a regular for the #USMNT or the world-class face of U.S. Soccer many expected, he still earned 17 caps, scoring 2 goals and adding 3 assists. In many ways, he accomplished more at the international level than most of the players who are listed below combined.

Which former USMNT prospects did I miss, players who are no longer playing or are past their prime, who deserve to be on this list?

Cody Cropper – GK – 0 caps

U.S. youth international and longtime goalkeeper prospect who reached the Southampton and MLS systems but never earned a senior cap.

Junior Flores – AM – 0 caps

Creative midfielder who joined Borussia Dortmund’s system as a teenager and was viewed as a major U.S. prospect, but never reached the senior USMNT.

Eddie Gaven – MF/W – 8 caps

Teenage MLS phenom who became a league standout, but despite eight USMNT appearances, his international career never developed further.

Luis Gil – AM – 2 caps

One of the most hyped American midfield prospects of his generation; debuted for RSL at 16 but never translated that promise into a sustained USMNT career.

Emerson Hyndman – MF – 2 caps

Highly rated central midfielder who broke through at Fulham and earned two USMNT appearances, but never established himself internationally.

Perry Kitchen – DM/CB – 5 caps

U.S. youth captain and defensive midfielder who became a regular MLS starter, but his senior international career stalled after five caps.

Will Packwood – CB/DM – 0 caps

Birmingham City prospect who became the youngest American to play in the English Championship, but injuries severely disrupted his development.

Marc Pelosi – LB/CB – 0 caps

Highly regarded defender who moved to Liverpool as a teenager, but injuries and limited senior opportunities derailed his path to the USMNT.

Gedion Zelalem – MF – 0 caps

Arsenal wonderkid and one of the most highly regarded U.S. prospects of his generation. Injuries and inconsistent senior opportunities slowed his development, and he never made a senior USMNT appearance.

The number of young USMNT players in this September/October window is something we haven’t seen in quite some time. Some will catch the eye of newly extended USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino, while others may not, but all of them have an opportunity during this cycle to make their case for World Cup qualifying and, ultimately, a spot on the 2026 World Cup roster.

It all starts now, and it should be fun to follow their development over the next four years.

USMNT

Building the Next Generation: Who Should Be on Pochettino’s USMNT Radar?

Published

1 month ago

August 25, 2026

Thomas Deschaine

Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)

Header_NextGen

With the USMNT manager in place and the new cycle underway it’s time for recently extended Mauricio Pochettino to get some new young players on his radar and what better time to do this than the September/October double FIFA window.

There are several U-23 players like Josh Wynder, Jalen Neal, Rokas Pukstas, Diego Kochen, Jonathan Gomez, Caleb Wiley, Cole Campbell, Chris Brady, Gaga, Slonina, Niko Tsakiris, Damion Downs, and Benjamin Cremaschi who have no caps order less than a handful with the USMNT.

Will USMNT snubs or overlooked players opportunities be during the 2030 cycle look like? Players like Diego Luna, Tanner Tessmann, Aidan Morris and Camron Carter-Vickers to name a few, we have to wonder how or if they will be part of this cycle of players. I would suggest some will likely get the opportunity in the early part of the cycle but will need to be performing n with their club to remain getting called back into camps.

Integrating a few of these youth USMNT players during each window for the first half of the cycle will allow Pochettino to evaluate them up close and see if there might be a role for them during this next cycle.

It’s extremely important that the USMNT have a few on their current U-20 teenagers’ breakthrough and become a reliable part of the USMNT in the second half of the cycle.

The below players will have an opportunity to play in next years U-20 World Cup being hosted by Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan as well as hopefully if their clubs release them being part of the 2028 Olympics USA Football squad to hopefully medal for the first time since 1904 when the US had two teams win Silver and Bronze. I think it’s also important to look at these players alongside some of the core USMNT in the upcoming window to see how they can integrate with one another.

Mathis Albert-17-Winger

Noahkai Banks-19-Centerback

Cole Campbell-20-Midfielder/Winger

Zavier Gozo-19-Winger

Julian Hall-18-Winger

Malik Jakupovic-17-Striker

Adri Mehmeti-17-Central Midfielder

Peyton Miller-18-Left Midfielder/Winger

Neil Pierre-18-Centerback

Cavan Sullivan-16-Attacking Midfielder

Whether we see all of these players, or just a handful, through the first half of the cycle, hopefully leading into another Copa América appearance, it’s clear that the time has come for Pochettino to begin integrating the next generation of USMNT players into the senior pool. How quickly that transition happens will be one of the most interesting storylines to follow.

USMNT

Mauricio Cuevas Taking “Huge Step Forward” in Liga MX

Published

2 months ago

August 9, 2026

Alex Calabrese

CHICAGO — Four years on from captaining the United States to their last CONCACAF Under-20 title, Mauricio Cuevas is quietly stepping back into the spotlight. Still only 23 years old, the talented right back just moved abroad, leaving his boyhood Los Angeles Galaxy for Liga MX side Santos Laguna in a summer move that slipped under the radar.

“To be able to get sold to a big club like Santos is a huge step forward for me,” Cuevas said in an exclusive interview this Saturday. “From the first day, I knew the challenge coming into it because the club hasn’t been meeting expectations in the past few years. Coming in and trying to be a difference-maker is something that I wanted. It’s a new challenge for me, and overall I’m just super excited.”

New Challenge in Mexico

As a teenager, Cuevas showcased himself as one of the country’s most exciting young fullbacks. Known for his technical prowess and set piece ability, the L.A. area native spent time at Belgium’s Club Brugge before returning to the Galaxy in 2023. There, he won an MLS Cup in 2024, appearing 78 times in total before his departure this summer.

“It’s always tough leaving home,” Cuevas said. “Obviously, it’s my boyhood club. My family still lives there, and I was great with all the guys at the club as well. I knew everybody, from the staff and the front office to the coaches. It’s never easy when you’re leaving home.”

“Honestly, the people in Torreón and Santos have all welcomed me with open arms since the first day. They’re all amazing people. It’s an amazing club and an amazing city.”

The move to Liga MX made sense from a number of angles; Santos manager Renato Paiva wanted a new right back, Cuevas’s Galaxy contract was winding down, and his Mexican passport made a move south of the border quite easy. Since joining, Santos have faced an extremely difficult run of games against CF Monterrey, Atlas, Club América, and New York City FC — all of which Cuevas started.

“It’s been great, to be honest,” Cuevas said of his adjustment to life in Torreón. “There hasn’t been much of an adjustment tactics-wise or playing-wise because Renato, our head coach, has similar concepts to what we had at the Galaxy. The players are really good as well. There’s so much quality on the team.”

“The only thing I’ve probably had to get adjusted to is the weather. It’s a little too hot out there, the sun is beaming a lot. But I love it, man. It’s a super-calm city. It’s beautiful, with great food and great people.”

Back in the U.S.

The game against NYCFC came in Leagues Cup, a competition with a razor-thin margin for error. To advance past the first round, teams ideally need to earn at least seven points from their three matches; after losing to New York City, qualification for the knockout rounds is now nearly impossible for Santos. They’ll face Gregg Berhalter, Robert Lewandowski, and the Chicago Fire on Sunday (8 p.m. Eastern Time on Apple TV) in a game where anything but a win in 90 minutes would certainly eliminate them.

“I think we go into every game with the belief that every game is a must-win for us, so that doesn’t really change much. We know now that there’s more on top of that, we have even more reason to win. We’re just focused on ourselves tomorrow. We had a long travel day yesterday, so it’s all about recovery now and setting a game plan that puts us in the best position to win.”

Having started against the Fire at Soldier Field in 2024 and facing former youth national team teammates Chris Brady and Sergio Oregel, Cuevas will hope to give something extra in this game and help keep Santos alive in the tournament.

“Any tournament that this club steps into, we always have that goal in mind of wanting to bring that trophy back to Mexico, back to Torreón with us. We’re a competitive club. We’re one of the best clubs, history-wise, in Mexico, so we know what this badge carries.”

USYNT Hero

Coincidentally enough, the U.S. U-20s advanced to a fifth consecutive CONCACAF final on Friday, setting up a date with hosts Mexico at Estadio Azteca on Sunday. The semifinal win also qualified the U.S. for next year’s Pan American Games in Lima, ensuring qualification for back-to-back editions.

In addition to being a central figure in the last U.S. U-20 CONCACAF victory in 2022, Cuevas was part of the last Pan Am Games team in 2023; the U.S. finished fourth in an unusual competition that included several intriguing names like Sergio Oregel, Brooklyn Raines, Danny Leyva, and a then-relatively unknown Alex Freeman. For Cuevas, that tournament was a special memory, and one he remembers fondly.

“I remember the whole trip, to be honest. I made a lot of great friends and met a lot of great people on and off the field, from the staff to the players – people I’m still in contact with. There are some that are in Liga MX as well, Nico (Carrera), Antonio (Carrera), Danny (Leyva).”

“Every player from that age group and that camp has been doing great. It’s lovely to see, to be honest, seeing everybody shine.”

On the immediate horizon for the U.S. is Sunday’s U-20 final (6:00 p.m. Eastern Time on FS2). The Americans will be hoping that this year’s final is more reminiscent of Cuevas’ age group (a 6-0 final win over the Dominican Republic) than the 2024 edition (a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Mexico). As is often the case, the U.S. and Mexico will be without many of their top youth players for the tournament due to its concurrence with club games, but that has opened the door for others.

“We have two players from (Santos) that are representing Mexico, so congrats to them,” Cuevas said. “Huge shout out to (LA Galaxy’s) Ruben Ramos as well and Dylan Vanney, who are with the U.S.; they’ve been killing it. I’m just happy for all those guys. Proud of those guys.”