Sergiño Dest to miss CONCACAF Gold Cup, further weakening US in last tournament before World Cup
CHICAGO (AP) — Sergiño Dest was dropped from the U.S. roster for the CONCACAF Gold Cup over fitness concerns, leaving the Americans heading to the tournament with just four players who started in the team's final match of the 2022 World Cup.
'The technical, medical and high performance staffs have done a series of evaluations this week on all the players in camp, and in the case of Sergiño we determined the best decision is for the player to have an individualized training program for the summer so he can focus on being fully recovered and ready to perform next season,' coach Mauricio Pochettino said in a statement Thursday.
Dest, a starter at outside back, tore an ACL during training with PSV Eindhoven on April 20, 2024, and returned to action March 8. He appeared is seven matches, including four starts, but didn't play a full 90 minutes until the season finale on May 18.
Trying to rebound after flops in last summer's Copa America and the CONCACAF Nations League in March, the U.S. already was missing Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Antonee Robinson, Yunus Musah, Folarin Balogun and Gio Reyna.
Pulisic wanted time off, Robinson had knee surgery on May 27, Balogun has an ankle injury and Musah asked out for a reason the U.S. Soccer Federation didn't specify. Weah, McKennie and Reyna were blocked from the tournament by FIFA, which ruled team's in the Club World cup have priority to players.
The only players on the 26-man roster who started in the second-round loss to the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup are goalkeeper Matt Turner, central defenders Tim Ream and Walker Zimmerman, and midfielder Tyler Adams.
The Americans have friendlies against Turkey on Saturday at East Hartford, Connecticut, and Switzerland three days later at Nashville, Tennessee, then meet Trinidad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia and Haiti in the first round of the Gold Cup.
Fifteen players are from Major League Soccer and seven could make national team debuts: goalkeepers Chris Brady and Matt Freese; defenders Alex Freeman and Nathan Harriel; midfielders Sebastian Berhalter and Quinn Sullivan; and forward Damion Downs.
The roster:
Goalkeepers: Chris Brady (Chicago), Matt Freese (New York City), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace)
Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus), Alex Freeman (Orlando), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Miles Robinson (Cincinnati), John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville)
Midfielders: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds); Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis), Luca de la Torre (San Diego), Diego Luna (Salt Lake), Jack McGlynn (Houston), Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia); Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Phillies surge past Mets with six-run seventh inning, claim first place in NL East
PHILADELPHIA — Bryson Stott hit a bases-clearing triple in a six-run seventh inning and the Philadelphia Phillies surged past the slumping New York Mets into first place in the NL East with a 10-2 victory on Friday night. Nick Castellanos homered for the Phillies, who opened the three-game set between division rivals with their eighth win in their last nine games.
New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
Nicolas Jackson's red card: The most concerning part is he doesn't fully understand how it happened
It is very difficult to defend Nicolas Jackson, but that did not stop Enzo Maresca trying. Deep in the bowels of Lincoln Financial Field, in the repurposed locker room of the Philadelphia Eagles, Maresca picked the most surprising answer possible when invited to talk about Jackson's latest moment of self-destructive madness: a studs-up tackle to the ankle of Flamengo defender Ayrton Lucas near the touchline that drew an immediate red card from referee Ivan Arcides Barton Cisneros, prompted no visible protests from any of the Chelsea players or staff close enough to have a perfect view, and condemned his team to a 3-1 defeat in their second FIFA Club World Cup match. Nicolas Jackson, who was sent off in Chelsea's 2-0 defeat away at Newcastle United in May, has seen red again. The Senegalese forward is dismissed just four minutes after coming off the bench after a hideous challenge.#FIFACWC 🎥 @ — The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) June 20, 2025 'I'm not sure that it's 100 per cent a red card but the referee decided for that,' Maresca said. His stony reaction to the red card in the moment did not betray any sense of injustice. Nor did the response of Jackson, who immediately hung his head and put his hands on his knees. The Senegal international had been on the pitch for all of four minutes, having been benched on his 24th birthday for Liam Delap, the £30million signing acquired to compete for his spot. Could it have been a release of pent-up frustration? Advertisement Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone, teammate Marc Cucurella revealed that Jackson had given a different explanation when apologising to his teammates in the dressing room after the match. 'He's very sad,' he said of Jackson. 'He tried to win the ball, had the bad luck that he kicked his leg and that's it. 'He's a young player with a lot of quality but maybe needs to improve a little bit in these things. He has to learn. After the manager spoke he said sorry, he didn't do it on purpose. He's a very important player for us, we will miss him in the next game but this is football.' Jackson then further undercut the notion that his red card might not have been merited by issuing a lengthy, emotional apology statement on Instagram. 'I want to say sorry. To the club, the staff, my teammates, and all the fans watching, I let you down. Another red card… and honestly, I'm so angry at myself. 'I work hard every day to help the team, not to put us in this kind of situation. I still don't fully understand how it happened. But one thing is clear: it wasn't intentional. Just a football moment that went the wrong way. No excuses. I take full responsibility. 'I'll reflect, I'll grow, and I'll come back stronger for the badge and for everyone who believes in me. Sorry. Sorry.' The sincerity of Jackson's sorrow is easy to believe in. It was written all over his face as he left the field, and his statement does not read like a generic, cynical PR communique. But none of that lessens the damage his error has caused — to Chelsea's hopes of fighting back against Flamengo, to their broader aspirations in this tournament, and most significant of all, to his future prospects at the club. Context matters. Jackson's three-match ban for elbowing Newcastle defender Sven Botman in the head in the first half of a vital Premier League match on May 11 is not even complete; he will miss the opening game of next season against Crystal Palace. His personal Club World Cup may also be over if FIFA review his red card tackle against Flamengo and decide it merits more than the standard one-game ban. Advertisement Jackson is keenly aware of the criticism he has received during his two-year stint as Chelsea's first-choice striker. He has publicly acknowledged some of it, telling Mikel Jon Obi to 'shut your mouth' and 'don't talk s***' last August in response to the retired midfielder's repeated assertions that Maresca's team needed a better No 9. Mikel will not be shutting up anytime soon. To compound Jackson's misery, the Chelsea legend was commentating on the match for DAZN and reacted to the tackle with a rant that compelled presenter Kelly Somers to apologise for his language. 'Unbelievable. Stupid, stupid, stupid mistake,' he said. 'I don't know what was going through his head. Your team needs you and he does that! He did that at Newcastle in an important game. He got a red card. And now he's done this again. You can't keep making mistakes like this. 'I don't care what his frustration is. This is a massive football club and it's about competition (in the squad). If you're angry or p****d off, then you have to embrace it. We need competition.' That competition has been hurt by events against Flamengo, unless Marc Guiu is ready to take a developmental leap. Jackson has effectively handed Delap a golden opportunity to establish himself as the new fixture at the point of Chelsea's attack with a sustained run of minutes, both in what remains of this Club World Cup and the start of the Premier League season. Chelsea's interest in signing a right-footed left winger and an all-round attacker this summer is documented in The Athletic's most recent edition of the Transfer DealSheet. By the time Jackson is available again his path to playing time may be more perilous; it was notable that Maresca sounded unconvinced by the notion of Jackson and Delap existing in the same team, despite the Senegal international's past as a left winger at Villarreal. Advertisement Jackson has plenty of backers in football. Mauricio Pochettino frequently gushed about his potential in his brief stint at Chelsea, and Flamengo manager Filipe Luis was similarly effusive in his press conference. 'He's so good, he's young, he has all the potential, all the quality that the club needs,' he said. 'For sure he will surpass this little mistake. 'It was clear. I saw it in front of me, and for me it was a red. But it's just a small detail for a big player who can be one of the biggest strikers in the world.' To realise that outcome, Jackson must first find a way to master whatever impulse leads him to these moments. The most concerning part of his apology statement was the admission that he still does not fully understand how the Flamengo red card happened. Even taking his insistence that he had no bad intent at face value (despite the damning nature of the footage), a problem cannot be addressed if it is not understood. Jackson's career at Chelsea could depend on the success of the self-reflection that lies ahead. He will have plenty of time to do it.
CBS News
4 hours ago
- CBS News
Philadelphia Phillies surge past New York Mets with six-run seventh inning, claim first place in NL East
Bryson Stott hit a bases-clearing triple in a six-run seventh inning and the Philadelphia Phillies surged past the slumping New York Mets into first place in the NL East with a 10-2 victory on Friday night. Nick Castellanos homered for the Phillies, who opened the three-game set between division rivals with their eighth win in their last nine games. Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil homered for New York, which has lost seven straight. Reliever Reed Garrett (2-3) started the seventh for the Mets but failed to retire any of the five batters he faced after opening the frame by giving up doubles to Brandon Marsh and Trea Turner. Alec Bohm's RBI single put Philadelphia in front 4-2, ending Garrett's night. Justin Garza then surrendered an RBI single to Castellanos before Stott's drive off the wall in left-center. After Phillies starter Zack Wheeler could only get through five scoreless innings, New York took advantage against Taijuan Walker. Alonso opened the sixth by hitting a 90-mph cutter into the batter's eye in center for his 18th of the season. McNeil tied it with a drive to the right. After Walker got an out and allowed a single, Tanner Banks (2-0) came in and blanked the Mets over 1 2/3 strong innings. Key Moment J.T. Realmuto followed Castellanos closely home on Stott's hit, sliding safely to the plate at nearly the same time. Key Stat 4 — Number of strong defensive plays by Phillies first baseman Otto Kemp. Filling in for injured slugger Bryce Harper, Kemp made good plays in the fifth and sixth to catch foul balls off the bat of Tyrone Taylor. In the seventh, snared Turner's long throw from second to put out Brandon Nimmo before ending the inning with a diving stop of Juan Soto's hard liner before flipping to Banks. Up Next Mets RHP Griffin Canning (6-3, 3.80 ERA) opposes Philadelphia RHP Mick Abel (2-0, 2.21) on Saturday night.
