Dest joins list of big-name absences from US Gold Cup squad
NEW YORK :United States defender Sergino Dest was left out of their squad for the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Thursday, joining a list of big-name absences, as head coach Mauricio Pochettino named a group loaded with fresh faces.
U.S. forward Christian Pulisic had already opted out of the tournament, along with his AC Milan teammate Yunus Musah, while starters Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna and Tim Weah will miss out due to obligations with the upcoming Club World Cup.
U.S. media reports said Dest was left out due to fitness concerns after he returned from an 11-month injury absence in March after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament last year.
His absence leaves the U.S. with just a handful of veterans in their 26-man squad, including goalkeeper Matt Turner, defender Tim Ream and Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams.
Coventry City's Haji Wright is the only player among the forwards with more than four senior national team caps, with 15 appearances for the United States.
The squad includes four players who were called up for the first time.
"We are extremely excited to work with this group of players and compete for the championship," Pochettino said in a statement.
"Of course our priority is to win the tournament and to show the right mentality and approach, and we are confident these players will take advantage of the opportunity."
The United States are hoping to right the ship after their bid for a fourth straight CONCACAF Nations League title came to an end with a semi-final defeat against Panama in March.
The team failed to reach the knockout stage in the Copa America last year, a humiliating result that led to the firing of head coach Gregg Berhalter.
The team will play friendlies against Turkey and Switzerland before their first group-stage match against Trinidad and Tobago on June 15.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Italy already fear missing yet another World Cup after Norway nightmare
Italy's World Cup qualification campaign has barely begun and already the country is worried about the shocking possibility of failing to reach the final tournament for a third consecutive time after a humiliating defeat by Norway. Norway already had two wins under their belt in Group I before Friday's match in Oslo, while Italy had yet to play, having been involved in the Nations League quarter-finals in March, losing out to Germany. A 2-1 defeat at the San Siro in the first leg left Italy chasing the tie in Germany and they found themselves 3-0 down at the break before staging a second-half comeback to salvage a draw, and some pride. It was the same story on Friday for Italy at the Ullevaal Stadium, at least as far as the opening act went. Norway roared into a 3-0 lead in the first half but this time there was no Italian fightback in a goalless second half. "Enough!" screamed the Gazzetta dello Sport front page on Saturday, after Italy suffered their third loss in a four-game winless run, with the newspaper adding that for Italy the "World Cup is already at risk". Next year's World Cup takes place in the United States, Canada and Mexico but in the two decades since Italy won the tournament for the fourth time, they have struggled to perform or, more recently, to even get there. Berlin 2006 seems a lifetime ago now, with Zinedine Zidane sent off for his head butt to Marco Materazzi's chest and Italy lifting the trophy after a penalty shootout win over France. The next two World Cups saw Italy exit at the group stage, and while they triumphed at Euro 2020, on either side of that success they missed out on the World Cup after playoff defeats to Sweden and North Macedonia. With Italy now playing catch-up and only the group winners qualifying automatically, La Repubblica's front-page headline "Azzurri humiliated in Oslo, the playoff nightmare returns" hints at the frightening possibilities ahead. Italy's loss came less than a week after Inter Milan's 5-0 mauling at the hands of Paris St Germain in the Champions League final and on both occasions the tired-looking losers were outclassed by a hungrier, more creative side. Italy manager Luciano Spalletti was spared following last year's dismal Euros but is now under real pressure and nothing but a convincing win at home to Moldova on Monday will do, with media and fans increasingly calling for a change of leadership.
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Ronaldo says he does not plan to play at Club World Cup
Al-Nassr and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo said on Saturday he did not plan to play at the Club World Cup in the United States, despite being courted by clubs participating in the expanded 32-team tournament. Speculation over the 40-year-old's future intensified last month when FIFA President Gianni Infantino said discussions were underway about Ronaldo playing in the Club World Cup, despite Al-Nassr failing to qualify. Al-Nassr's sporting director Fernando Hierro said last month they were negotiating with Ronaldo over a contract extension but faced competition from a host of clubs eager to sign the five-times Ballon d'Or winner. Ronaldo himself added to the uncertainty after Al-Nassr's season-ending match at Al-Fateh, posting on social media: "This chapter is over. The story? Still being written." Asked about the possibility of signing for another club in the coming days in order to play at the Club World Cup later this month, Ronaldo told reporters: "It's irrelevant, at the moment it doesn't make sense to talk about things other than the national team. "There has been plenty of contact (from clubs), I see things that make sense, others that don't. You can't go to all of them (clubs), you have to think short, medium and long term. "It's something that's practically decided on my part, which is not to go to the Club World Cup, but I've had plenty of invitations." On Wednesday, Ronaldo scored the winner as Portugal beat Germany 2-1 to go into the Nations League final, where they will face Spain. Many have labelled Sunday's final as a face-off between Ronaldo and 17-year-old Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal but the Portuguese forward said he did not see it as such. "It's always been like that, whenever I've played football, whenever I've played a big game it's always been Cristiano against this one, against that one," he said. "It's been 20-something years and it's still the same, it doesn't keep me up at night anymore, it's a normal thing. They're completely different generations, a generation that's starting out, another that's finishing, which is my case. "In reality it's not like that, it's a team against a team. It will always be like that... What I want most is for Portugal to be at a good level, confident that things can go well, that we can play a great game and win against a very good team, possibly the best in the world."
CNA
13 hours ago
- CNA
EchoStar prepares potential bankruptcy filing amid FCC review, WSJ reports
EchoStar is considering a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing as the telecommunications services firm vies to shield its cache of wireless spectrum licenses from the threat of revocation by federal regulators, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. The company declined to comment on the report. Last month, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) notified EchoStar it was investigating the company's compliance with certain federal obligations to provide 5G service in the U.S., questioning EchoStar's buildout extension and mobile-satellite service. FCC's actions have severely limited the company's ability to make strategic decisions regarding the growth and investment of its Boost Mobile business, according to a regulatory filing by the company last month. EchoStar has previously disclosed that it missed roughly $500 million in interest payments, citing uncertainty around the ongoing FCC review.
