Sergiño Dest scrambles to keep away from making a gift of USMNT technique forward of World Cup opener
DOHA, Qatar — Sergiño Dest is generally a relaxed, cool and picked up character, so it was a shocking sight to see the AC Milan fullback so flustered when fielding a query in regards to the U.S. males’s nationwide crew’s method to World Cup opening-opponent Wales.
When requested how the Wales’ type of play would impact his means to assault from his traditional attacking fullback method, Dest pauses and ponders a response, however when he turned to Weston McKennie and noticed the Juventus midfielder get away laughing, issues went off the rails a bit.
Dest ultimately rolled into an ordinary “We’re focused on how we play” response, however as he continues and references how the USMNT is at all times engaged on the high-press, he seems to catch himself on the brink of give away some tactical perception he is aware of he shouldn’t.
That’s when Dest pauses his reply and turns to McKennie, who has a glance on his face that means he was additionally a bit involved about Dest giving an excessive amount of away. After a quick session with a U.S. Soccer media consultant, Dest will get again to answering and factors to Wales’ type leaving the Welsh inclined to assaults in behind on the flanks (that are the precise type of areas a participant like Dest likes to take advantage of.)
So what may have had Dest so involved? The most definitely causes are A) he isn’t beginning and didn’t wish to give away the very fact he isn’t beginning, or B) the USMNT goes to trot out some shocking formational/tactical method particularly to assault Welsh vulnerabilities.
Dest not beginning wouldn’t be all that shocking given his current lack of taking part in time at AC Milan, and his restricted observe time since arriving in Qatar. Gregg Berhalter has three different proper again choices in Joe Scally, Shaq Moore and DeAndre Yedlin.
If Dest’s secrecy was geared towards hiding a shock, may the USMNT be set to deploy a 3-5-2, with Dest as a wingback and Tim Ream, Aaron Long and Walker Zimmerman as central defenders? That method would push Antonee Robinson and Dest (or Joe Scally) increased up the sphere as wingbacks whereas giving the USMNT protection some stability with three central defenders.
Another wild card, albeit a extremely unlikely one, could possibly be Tim Weah, who not too long ago performed for granted again for Lille. Weah has by no means performed proper again for the USMNT, and is a candidate to start out on the proper wing, so deploying him as a fullback wouldn’t make a lot sense, particularly with three different pure proper backs on the roster.
Could Dest have simply been nervous at his first World Cup press convention? Given his normally-aloof nature, that rationalization feels just like the least seemingly of all of them. We will discover out on Tuesday.
Here is the total video of the incident:
What do you suppose Dest was attempting to cover? Think he was simply nervous, or did his response coupled with McKennie’s depart you believing there may be some shocking tactical/formational wrinkle approaching Monday?
Share your ideas under.