‘Great moment for the team’ - USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter makes surprise admission about Sergino Dest‘s petulant Nations League red card

The Barcelona man was sent off in the 39th minute of the US' 2-1 loss to Trinidad and Tobago in the CONCACAF Nations League in November, with the full-back picking up two bookings in the space of 20 seconds. At the time, head coach Berhalter described the 23-year-old's actions as a "dumb mistake" but now he appears to have changed his tune.

When asked if he had spoken with Dest about the incident, he replied: “Yep. To me, it’s a great moment for the team. It’s a great learning experience for the group, it’s a great moment for us to grow as a team.

“It’s not only his reaction that I think we need to talk about, but I think it’s everybody’s reaction. What do we do when things like this happen? How do we avoid getting derailed as the collective?

“For him [it’s about] how this moment can put the team in a difficult position. I think that’s a great learning experience for all of us as we go into Copa América, [CONCACAF] Nations League, and the World Cup.”

While Dest, who is suspended for his country's semi-final Nations League clash against Jamaica on March 21, was criticised at the time for his costly actions, Berhalter clearly values his talents and it seems he still has a future with the national team.

If the USMNT win their semi-final match with Jamaica, they will either take on Panama or Mexico in the final of a tournament (March 24) they have won for the past two years. This may give them a boost ahead of the 2024 Copa America, which features 16 teams from the Americas such as Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and more, this summer.