U.S. national team defender Sergino Dest was suspended from the team’s match after receiving two yellow cards less than 20 seconds apart on Monday night.
In the second leg of the US CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final against Trinidad & Tobago, Dest took exception with a call from the referee, thinking he was keeping the ball in bounds. Head referee Walter Lopez saw it differently.
When Dest heard the call for a throw-in for Trinidad & Tobago, he immediately picked up the ball and kicked it off the pitch, picking up his first yellow card of the match.
Dest tried to be comforted by teammates like Gio Reyna and Yunus Musah. At times, Reyna would hold his hand over his teammate’s mouth, likely preventing his swear words from being picked up by cameras.
After finally appearing to cross the line, Lopez drew a second yellow card for Dest, who, after receiving his marching orders, blew a kiss in the direction of the referee and continued to shout.
Sergino Dest was sent off because he received two yellow cards within twenty seconds
Dest’s outburst was quickly vilified by his teammates, including Matt Turner (pictured)
American captain Tim Ream quickly got in Dest’s face to point out that his anger was a bad look
The evening’s American captain, Fulham’s Tim Ream, who is usually calm and collected, was seen angrily shouting at Dest as he walked off the pitch.
Ream was quickly joined by USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner, who plays for Premier League club Nottingham Forest, as he shouted at Dest.
At one point, Turner was seen pushing Dest to walk off the field faster while the defender was still talking animatedly to someone, most likely Lopez, who was off camera.
After the match, Ream revealed that there were ‘choice words’ for Dest at half-time.
“I can’t say as many things here publicly that we’ve said privately,” Ream said. “It’s a total lack of respect for the guys who are playing, for the guys who are on the bench. It’s a lack of respect for the game itself, for the referees.’
Dest is suspended for the semi-final of the Nations League in March. He missed this year’s Nations League final after receiving a red card and a three-match suspension for a scuffle in the semi-final against Mexico.
“It’s inexcusable,” U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said. “It was surreal.”
“It’s concerning because that’s not what we represent, that’s not who we are as a group,” Berhalter added.
After the match, Ream revealed that there were ‘choice words’ for Dest at half-time
“We pride ourselves on staying mentally disciplined and fighting through all circumstances. Whether they are good or bad decisions, we have to move on and respond appropriately, and that was clearly not the right response from Sergino. He apologized to the group. He said it won’t happen again. As a team, the players and the staff, we have to hold him accountable.”
The United States was leading 4-0 in the Nations League quarterfinals at the time of the incident.
However, Trinidad and Tobago’s Reon Moore scored four minutes after Dest picked up his yellow cards against the 10-man United States.
After the match, Dest apologized for his behavior on Instagram.
“I would like to apologize to my teammates, staff, fans and the entire country for my behavior. It was unacceptable, selfish and immature. I let my team down!’ said Deste. ‘It’s something I have to learn from and it won’t happen again!’
In a postgame interview, American defender Antonee Robinson called Dest’s performance a “moment of unprofessionalism.”
Dest apologized for his actions after the match on Instagram, saying ‘it won’t happen again’
After a 3-0 win last week in Austin, Texas, Robinson scored in the 25th minute from Dest’s cross to give the 11th-ranked USA a four-goal lead in the Concacaf Nations League quarter-final.
But after Dest’s two yellow cards in 30 seconds in the 39th minute, Trinidad and Tobago were able to stage a comeback.
With the US down a man, Reon Moore tied the score in the 43rd. Alvin Jones put the 99th-placed Soca Warriors ahead in the 57th with a 30-yard free-kick from the hands of goalkeeper Matt Turner, who tried to parry the swerve.
Jones scored a similar long-range goal in October 2017 against Tim Howard in a 2-1 win over Couva, about 20 miles south, ending the Americans’ run of World Cup appearances at seven.