The 2023 12 months is over for the USMNT and it ends with a disappointing loss to Trinidad & Tobago that noticed Sergino Dest meltdown, get despatched off, and the U.S. crew by no means get better. The U.S. crew nonetheless certified for the Nations League and Copa America, however not in the way in which it wished. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta breaks it down
BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
November 20, 2023
9:10 AM
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THE UNITED STATES nationwide crew concluded its 2023 calender 12 months in disappointing vogue with a 2-1 loss to Trinidad & Tobago in Port of Spain on Monday evening. The consequence was sufficient for the crew to advance 4-2 on mixture to qualify for each the Nations League semifinal and the 2023 Copa America, however the efficiency left quite a bit to be desired – particularly with Sergino Dest who was despatched off within the thirty ninth minute.
The US opened the scoring within the twenty fifth minute off a pleasant diving header from Antonee Robinson who acquired on the tip of a well-delivered cross from Dest.
— U.S. Soccer Males’s Nationwide Workforce (@USMNT) November 21, 2023
However the sport turned unglued within the thirty ninth minute when Dest was despatched off following an name from the officers and afterward the PSV fullback punted the ball into the group and continued to argue. A yellow card was adopted by a purple card. Dest’s U.S. teammates together with Gio Reyna and Yunus Musah had been making an attempt to calm Dest down. Captain Tim Ream then proceeded to yell at Dest on the sector as he slowly left. Matt Turner was additionally harsh with Dest.
As soon as Dest left the sector, Trinidad & Tobago nearly instantly equalized when former Ahead Madison fullback Alvin Jones performed Reon Moore into the field in transition. Moore was capable of beat Cameron Carter-Vickers on pace. Turner misplaced his footing on Moore’s shot from a decent angle which discovered the again of the web.
Then within the 57th minute, Jones put T&T in entrance with a well-struck free kick that was savable however dipped and swerved off the fingertips of Turner for a 2-1 lead.
From there, T&T continued to have the higher of probabilities however the U.S. crew was capable of cool down and see out what was a one-goal loss however an total mixture win.
Some ideas.
Dest’s meltdown
Sergino Dest’s habits within the occasions which noticed him despatched off was baffling. There may be numerous speak on this crew about second probabilities and maturing. However misplaced on this purple card is the observe that it was his second purple card for the nationwide crew of 2023 after he was despatched off late within the crew’s 3-0 win over Mexico within the Nation’s League semifinal in June.
Dest may be younger. However it is a participant who has performed in Champions League video games for Ajax, Barcelona, AC Milan, and now PSV Eindhoven. He’s additionally performed within the World Cup. This was not a “heat of the moment” response. He punted the ball away and continued to argue with the officers regardless of pleas from his teammates.
It’s not a matter of apologizing and shifting past it. Dest apologized and that’s advantageous. However there are actually “trust issues” with him. Does he run the chance of placing his crew in dangerous conditions once more? This wasn’t strike one. This was strike two.
Two tales here1) Dest selfishly harming the #USMNT by not having the ability to hold it collectively 2) Ream being a frontrunner pic.twitter.com/V3L23IxpSo
— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) November 21, 2023
Afterward, Berhalter admitted it “was a concern” provided that this wasn’t a first-time incident for Dest. Berhalter stated it was inexcusable but in addition shot down hints of an prolonged absence from the crew. After the third query about Dest, Berhalter stated he doesn’t need to flip it right into a “witch hunt.”
“Sergino has done a great job of maturing and growing over the years that he’s been with the group,” Berhalter stated. “For him, this has to be a learning experience. It will be a learning experience. We give people second chances. We work with people, we help them overcome instances like this. We’ll do the same with Sergino. He’s a talented player, an important part of our team, and we need to have good conversations with him to make sure we get him on the right track.”
Ream chimed in and spoke of the frustration in Dest but in addition stated he might want to present enchancment past phrases.
“Words with him would be putting it nicely, to be completely honest with you,” Ream stated. “And there were a lot of choice words at halftime.”
“We are a pretty forgiving group,” Ream added. “We understand that we’re a young group. People can make mistakes and it’s just a big mistake. There’s not really any excuse for it. The only thing I think Sergino can do is hold his hand up, hold himself accountable, and when he is inevitably called upon again to be a part of this group, he has got to show with not just words saying sorry, but show with his actions that we can trust him to be someone we can rely on and off the pitch.”
In fact, this isn’t the primary time the U.S. crew has needed to take care of a scarcity of maturity and decision-making. There clearly was the Gio Reyna incident on the World Cup after which there was Weston McKennie’s incident in qualifying.
However each of these incidents had been off the sector. Dest now has two ugly incidents on the sector in aggressive video games.
“I want to apologize to my teammates, staff, fans, and whole nation for my behavior,” Dest wrote on Instagram after the sport. “It was unacceptable, selfish, and immature. I let my team down! It’s something I have to learn from, and it won’t happen again.”
As Ream stated, it’s greater than phrases. Dest will ultimately be put in a irritating second on the sector when feelings will probably be robust. Solely by preserving his cool in these conditions will this be put behind him.
Dest is now suspended for the Champions League semifinal. It stays to be seen if Berhalter will name him up in March or whether or not the following time we see Dest is in the summertime.
The efficiency
As for the crew’s efficiency, the crew began off nicely and was dominant for a minimum of the primary half-hour, and possibly till Dest’s purple card. The one factor that was lacking was ending. However the probabilities had been there and the U.S. crew began off the sport nicely.
However the crew didn’t reply nicely after the purple card. The backline turned a multitude and T&T began to generate actual probabilities rapidly.
— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) November 21, 2023
Matt Turner may have prevented each targets, with the second objective having been extra savable.
Within the second half, the U.S. crew wanted gamers to step up with huge particular person efforts since they had been down a person. However sadly, nobody rose to the event. It was a tricky sport for Luca de la Torre and Brenden Aaronson, Yunus Musah, and Malik Tillman who couldn’t feed the assault a lot within the second half.
Even all the way down to 10 gamers, the U.S. nonetheless had numerous expertise on the sector however they weren’t capable of do a lot with it.
A brand new formation
One of many extra fascinating takeaways from this sport that’s misplaced within the dialogue as a result of Dest was the return of the 4-4-2 formation. It is a formation that was most well-liked years in the past beneath Bob Bradley and the primary Bruce Enviornment tenure however hasn’t been tried since.
There may be loads of cause to suppose it might be helpful in sure conditions for the U.S. crew when it’s quick on wingers – like this camp. Balogun and Ricardo Pepi may gain advantage from being on the sector collectively.
Apparently Berhalter agreed and he was keen to do that formation regardless of by no means having practiced with it (one thing he admitted after the sport within the press convention). In actuality, it appeared extra like a 4-2-2-2 with Musah and de la Torre behind Aaronson and Reyna
The U.S. crew was very harmful and was on the entrance foot the primary half-hour. The crew benefitted from having an additional midfielder and the fullbacks had been ready carry the assault from the vast positions. It was working nicely however Dest’s purple card actually made relearning this formation on the fly an impossibility.
It raises the query whether or not the 4-4-2 remains to be optimum when Weah and/or Pulisic are wholesome. Then the U.S. crew would have wingers for a 4-3-3. The reply might be no. However it’s superb for the U.S. crew to have the ability to have totally different formations it’s comfy with.
Participant Scores
Matt Turner: The U.S. goalkeeper may have carried out higher on each targets. Ranking: 4.0
Antonee Robinson: scored the one objective and was by far the most effective U.S. participant over each video games this camp. Ranking: 7.0
Tim Ream: Was uncovered for tempo a bit of bit when the sport was open within the first half and when T&T had more room within the second half. Nonetheless, he wasn’t at fault for both objective. Ranking: 5.0
Cameron Carter-Vickers: Was crushed for tempo on Moore’s first objective. Ranking: 4.5
Sergino Dest: Good help however clearly put the U.S. crew in a game-changing and dangerous spot together with his tantrum. Ranking: 3.0
Yunus Musah: The AC Milan midfielder couldn’t break down T&T’s protection and create a lot. T&T did a superb job containing him. Ranking: 5.0
Luca de la Torre: Was barely more practical than Musah, however not by a lot when it comes to creating harmful probabilities – which is what this crew wanted with two forwards up high. Ranking: 5.5
Gio Reyna: He was shifting the ball nicely and was a lift to the assault earlier than being sacrificed for a defender after Dest’s meltdown. Ranking: 6.0
Brenden Aaronson: Labored arduous, drew 4 fouls, however was additionally 0/5 in his tackles – considered one of which gave T&T the free kick on the successful objective. He had two pictures saved and was efficient early in creating probabilities earlier than the crew went down a person. Ranking: 5.5
Ricardo Pepi: It was a tricky sport for Pepi, even when the groups had been even 11v11. Pepi didn’t have a shot and had only one contact within the T&T field. He had a couple of good moments in hold-up play and a few good passes, however it wasn’t what he wished or what the crew wanted. Ranking: 5.0
Folarin Balogun: Compelled a giant save early within the sport and narrowly missed two different occasions. It was irritating for him, however a minimum of he was in a harmful place a number of occasions. Ranking: 5.5
Substitutes
Joe Scally: Got here into the sport sooner than anticipated for Dest and by no means appeared comfortable – caught out of place a couple of occasions. Ranking: 4.5
Malik Tillman: A number of good moments right here and there got here up empty. Ranking: 5.0
Lennard Maloney: an uneventful outing cap-tied him to the U.S. program. Ranking: NR
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