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American defender Sergiño Dest is in the USMNT doghouse after his red card incident vs. Trinidad and Tobago on Monday. Captain and fellow defender Tim Ream didn’t mince words about his teammate after the game.
In the 39th minute of Monday’s 2-1 defeat to Trinidad and Tobago, Dest was furious with a decision from the referee. The PSV defender had a full-blown meltdown as he kicked the ball into the stands and got into a verbal argument with the referee.
Ream and other USMNT players tried to remove Dest from the situation, but he kept arguing. Dest got his first yellow card for kicking the ball away and a second yellow for something he said.
Sergiño Dest red card
¿QUÉ LE PASÓ A DEST? ❌
Sergiño es expulsado por reclamar… ¡Y por aventarle un beso al arbitro!Trinidad y Tobago 0-1 Estados Unidos (Global: 0-4)
EN VIVO por @NBCUniverso y @peacock ➡️ https://t.co/dqFfMj25Mv#FutbolUSA #CNL #USMNTtelemundo #USMNT pic.twitter.com/rt04kRYYOJ
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) November 21, 2023
His teammates were pissed and in the postgame press conference Ream was honest and didn’t defend Dest.
"Overall, it's a complete lack of respect for the guys that are playing, for the guys that are on the bench....For me, it's just a feeling of disrespect to be completely honest with you." #USMNT captain Tim Ream just not pleased with Sergino Dest for his red card.
@ussoccer pic.twitter.com/RV0LiK0hVV— Andrew Jerell Jones, Luke 1:37 (IG:twdbk3) (@sluggahjells) November 21, 2023
Ream hinted that the conversation with Dest in the locker room was heated.
“There’s not too many things that I can say here publicly that we said privately,” Ream said. “Overall, it’s a complete lack of respect for the guys that are playing, the guys that are on the bench.”
USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter was also critical of Dest after the game.
"It is concerning because that's not what we want to represent," Berhalter told reporters. "As a team, players, the staff, we need to hold him accountable because it's inexcusable.
"It really is, and we were very firm with our words after the game. He put a number of guys in jeopardy and made a number of guys do a lot of extra work in this weather and it's inexcusable."
Dest apologized on social media calling his red card incident “selfish and immature.”
View this post on Instagram
The USMNT advanced to the Concacaf Nations League semifinals which will be played in March. Dest won't be available for that game due to suspension.
This was the 23-year-old’s fourth red card of his career and his second in 2023. His last red card was also in the Concacaf Nations League when he was sent off vs. Mexico.
