The USMNT is currently looking like wet slop, Gregg Berhalter seems like a bad coach, and, until last weekend, Christian Pulisic was not earning as much playing time as he wanted over at Chelsea. It has been a bad month all told, especially with the future of the program’s best dual national suddenly up for grabs. Sergiño Dest ominously declined a USMNT call-up earlier this month, announcing that he would explore committing his international future to the Dutch. Thank God, he is going to stay with the USMNT.
This is a fairly shocking decision, since all recent momentum seemed to be swinging in the Netherlands’ favor. Even though Dest has been in the U.S. youth setup for years and has even earned two senior caps, he was born and raised in the Netherlands and never stepped foot on U.S. soil until 2014. His rise through Ajax’s famed academy to its starting lineup coincided with Ronald Koeman’s interest in him, and it seemed that once he turned down Berhalter’s call-up and watched his team get pantsed by Canada, that would be that. Hell, reports this morning indicated he would pick the Netherlands if he felt he could crack the roster.
Instead he’s chosen the diminished horizons and guaranteed playing time that the USMNT can offer. Dest is the most exciting full back prospect that the U.S. system has had in decades. He has technical quality for days, positively coating the ball with sauce every time he touches it, and is already an outstanding attacking full back:
For the USMNT, Dest is an obvious, plug-and-play starter at the right back spot immediately. He’ll turn 19 next week, and he’s already cemented himself as a league and Champions League starter for one of the best clubs in Europe. This rules, and I can’t wait until the USMNT whoops the Dutch at the 2022 World Cup—predicated, of course, on both teams making it this time around.
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