The walls must have been shaking in the American locker room. On Monday evening, the United States lost 2-1 at Trinidad and Tobago in the Concacaf Nations League while leading 1-0. The fault in particular lies with Sergiño Dest, the PSV Eindhoven full-back on loan from Barça. In the 39th minute, the 23-year-old completely came out of his match following an innocuous action. Thinking of saving the ball with a touch, he saw the referee of the match, Walter Lopez, indicate a throw-in for the opponent. Furious at the decision, the American number 2 sent the ball into the stands, collecting a first yellow card.
The action could have ended like this but Dest, surrounded by Giovanni Reyna and Yunus Musah, turned to the referee and spoke with his hand over his mouth. Ironic kisses towards the man with the whistle then earned him a second yellow card synonymous with expulsion, provoking the anger of his partners. Taunted by Tim Ream and his goalkeeper Matt Turner as he left the field, the former AC Milan player was the target of numerous criticisms at the final whistle. Its captain Ream deplored “a total lack of respect for the guys who play, for the guys who are on the bench, for the game itself and for the referees” while his coach, Gregg Berhalter, spoke of an act “inexcusable and surreal”.
Once the adrenaline subsided, Sergino Dest apologized on his Instagram account: “I would like to apologize to my teammates, the staff, the fans and the entire nation for my unacceptable, selfish and immature behavior, I ‘ve let my team down! This is something I need to learn from and it won’t happen again!”. Fortunately for him and the United States, the defeat suffered in Trinidad and Tobago had no consequences for the selection which qualified for the semi-finals of the Concacaf Nations League thanks to its 3-0 victory acquired in the first leg. The USA could meet, in a dry meeting next March, Panama, Canada, Mexico or Honduras.