Sergiño Dest joins long list of USMNT stars to miss the Gold Cup

Washington Post

2 days ago

A U.S. men's national soccer team already missing several notable players for the Concacaf Gold Cup lost another key figure Thursday when Sergiño Dest was ruled out so he can continue his comeback from ACL surgery.
The dynamic right back recovered from the injury this spring and resumed playing for Dutch club PSV Eindhoven. But after several days at U.S. training camp, Dest and the staff decided he was not ready for a long-term competition.
'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.
Dest is the sixth player from the camp roster to fall out of contention for the Gold Cup — the U.S. team's last tournament before the 2026 World Cup.
Goalkeeper Zack Steffen, who was primed to compete for the starting job, withdrew Wednesday with a knee injury. Previously, goalkeeper Patrick Schulte, forward Folarin Balogun and defenders DeJuan Jones and Sean Zawadzki were scratched.
Even before naming the camp roster May 22, Pochettino left off several players who were injured, requested time away following the European club seasons or are unavailable because of the Club World Cup this summer. That group included Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Gio Reyna and Yunus Musah.
On Thursday, Pochettino finalized his 26-man Gold Cup roster with 14 players who have made four or fewer U.S. appearances, including seven with none.
Four players received their first invitations to U.S. camp: defender Alex Freeman, midfielders Quinn Sullivan and Sebastian Berhalter, and forward Damion Downs.
The roster averages 16 international appearances.
John Tolkin, a former New York Red Bulls standout now with Holstein Kiel in Germany, replaced Dest.
'Of course, our priority is to win the tournament and to show the right mentality and approach,' Pochettino said, 'and we are confident these players will take advantage of the opportunity.'
The U.S. team will prepare for the Gold Cup with friendlies Saturday against Turkey in East Hartford, Connecticut, and Tuesday against Switzerland in Nashville.
In the Gold Cup group stage, the Americans will play Trinidad & Tobago on June 15 in San Jose, Saudi Arabia on June 19 in Austin and Haiti on June 22 in Arlington, Texas. Mexico and Canada are the other tournament favorites.
After the Gold Cup, the Americans' schedule will feature a series of friendlies in the fall and spring before Pochettino finalizes his World Cup roster.