Sergino Dest faced the fury of his own team-mates after the United States defender picked up two yellow cards less than 30 seconds apart against Trinidad & Tobago on Monday night.
In the USA’s second leg of the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final, Dest took exception with a call from the referee where he was convinced he kept the ball in play, only for referee Walter Lopez to see things differently.
Upon hearing the call for a throw in to Trinidad & Tobago, Dest immediately picked up the ball and kicked it off the pitch in frustration, picking up his first yellow card of the match.
Team-mates, including Gio Reyna and Yunus Musah, tried to console Dest, with Reyna, at times, even holding his hand over his team-mate’s mouth, likely trying to shield any swearing from being picked up by cameras with Dest still furious.
It appeared Reyna could only do so much and soon referee Lopez pulled out a second yellow card for Dest, who, after receiving his marching orders, blew a kiss in the referee’s direction as he continued to shout.
Sergino Dest was sent off for picking up two yellow cards less than 30 seconds apart
Referee Walter Lopez showed the defender his second yellow for dissent in the 39th minute
Fruious USA captain Tim Ream was quick to get into Dest’s face as he walked off the field
USA captain for the evening, Fulham’s Tim Ream, who is usually calm and collected, was seen furious yelling in Dest’s face as he walked off the field.
Ream was joined quickly by USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner, who plays for Premier League side Nottingham Forest, in expressing his fury at Dest.
At one point, Turner was seen shoving Dest to walk off the pitch faster, while the defender was still animatedly ranting, most likely at Lopez, who was off-camera.
Following the game, Ream revealed there were ‘choice words’ for Dest at half-time.
‘Not too many things I can say here publicly that we said privately,’ Ream said.
‘It’s a complete lack of respect for the guys that are playing, for the guys that are on the bench. It´s a lack of respect for the game itself, for the referees.’
Dest will be suspended for the Nations League semi-final in March. He missed this year’s Nations League final after getting a red card and a three-game ban for scuffling in the semi-final against Mexico.
‘It’s inexcusable,’ USA boss Gregg Berhalter said. ‘It was surreal.’
‘It is concerning because that’s not what we represent, that’s not who we are as a group,’ Berhalter added.
Dest’s outburst was quickly vilified by his team-mates including Matt Turner (pictured)
Following the game, captain Ream revealed there were ‘choice words’ for Dest at half-time
‘We pride ourselves in staying mentally disciplined, battling through any type of conditions.
‘Whether they’re good decisions or bad decisions, we’re supposed to keep going and respond in an appropriate way, and that obviously wasn’t the right response from Sergino.
‘He apologized to the group. He said “it’s not going to happen again”. As a team, the players, the staff, we need to hold him accountable.’
USA were 4-0 up on aggregate in their Nations League quarter-final at the time of Dest’s head-loss.
However, Trinidad & Tobago’s Reon Moore scored against 10-man United States four minutes after Dest saw red to draw Monday’s game level.
After the game, Dest apologized for his behavior on Instagram.
‘I want to apologize to my Teammates, Staff, Fans and whole nation for my behaviour it was unacceptable, Selfish and immature I let my team down!’ Dest said. ‘It’s something I have to learn from and it won’t happen again!’
In a postgame interview, USA defender Antonee Robinson called Dest’s display a ‘moment of unprofessionalism.’
Dest apologized for his actions after the game on Instagram by saying ‘it won’t happen again’
Following a 3-0 win last week at Austin, Texas, Robinson scored in the 25th minute off Dest’s cross to give the 11th-ranked US a four-goal lead in the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final.
But after Dest’s two yellow cards in a matter of 30 seconds in the 39th minute, Trinidad & Tobago were able to launch a comeback.
With the US a man short, Moore levelled the score in the 43rd minute.
Then, Alvin Jones put the 99th-ranked Soca Warriors ahead in the 57th minute with a 30-yard free kick, which went in off the hands of goalkeeper Matt Turner, who tried to parry the swerving shot.
Jones scored a similar long-range goal in October 2017 against Tim Howard in a 2-1 win at Couva, about 20 miles south, that ended the Americans’ streak of World Cup appearances at seven.