i agree in terms of talent, but theres no way around the reality of berhalter and the fed going with proven mediocrity over youth and potential. i also think the fact that berhalter has shown he (dest) will be played at lb is a factor.
If Dest prefers the RB position then his showing as an LB may be counterproductive for our objective of keeping him. I suppose depends on the conversation they have had about future plans.
I think Dest will eventually decide that playing with the US is the right way to go. He'll have been with the program three years this month. He's played with Sargent, Weah, Pomykal, Richards, etc. He beat a very good French team with that crew already. Sky's the limit for his age group.
Hahaha unlikely as Reece James is their RB of the future but well played. I’m not basing anything on it but I hope he does chose the US. He looks to be a very good player.
They will almost certainly face each other in the stadium. Where in the stadium is not exactly clear yet. Hope it is on the field.
Some posters think we Dutch are desperate for wingbacks. However it was only after media pressure the KNVB contacted Dest. Not only Dest is such a case. We have a German/Dutch wingback that has to be capped by either country, namely Gosens, who's being ignored too, but for German fans is an option for the German team. So much for us being in dire need for wingbacks.
He's a product of Dutch society and culture. The USA had an insignificant impact on his development. Hence, if any country can "claim" him it will be the Netherlands. National teams by themselves do not have any significant impact on youth development. Luckily no country can claim someone and he can pick the USA like my future kid can decide to play for the Netherlands
Shit, shit. You know he's going to be a Robben like winger. I'm going to tell the KNVB to cap him as soon as he can say papa.
Um... I think @Paganitzu is the dad, so him flying to Amsterdam won't really help unless things have changed substantially since my kids were born.. Now, for his wife, Pagan should immediately rent a nice little condo overlooking the water in Sint Maarten for 9 months or so, and suggest to his spouse that giving birth overlooking he calming waters of the Caribbean will give the child a life of calm, intellect and riches - as well as a Dutch passport (so cheap college, better job opportunities, chance to learn a language almost no one speaks...) If a kid is born to a Dutch citizen living in St. Maarten (or Aruba, Curacao and a few other territories) they get their citizenship at birth (or used to anyway, haven't checked in a while) - otherwise it's a bit of a paper-hassle after the fact if you never live in the Netherlands, if you are able to do it at a all - unless, of course, they're truly excellent footie players, then the Dutch will figure it out.)
Aruba and Curacao are independent nations; the third of the so-called ABC islands, Bonaire, was independent for a while but reverted to the status of municipality of the Netherlands. Bonaire is part of the Caribbean Netherlands along two other islands, Saba and Sint Eustatius. Prior to this arrangement, the islands known as the "Dutch Caribbean" or "Netherlands Antilles" were Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius and Saba. Real Madrid has just started to run freebie soccer clinics on Bonaire. If you go there, learn to dive, do so (Bonaire is the shore diving capital of the world), and you may never want to return--soccer be damned.
Still, being born there can get you Dutch citizenship, but I was a bit mistaken in my nationality law. You just have to be born to a Dutch citizen these days it seems. Things got cleaned up considerably in the early 80s apparently. My wife, who was born out of Netherlands to a Dutch father had to do a bit more paperwork to retain her citizenship but that seems to be simplified. In other words... never mind! re. Dest. Found this in Portuguese from a Koeman interview... "About Sergiño Dest (Ajax) possibly being called in: "Me and Nico-Jan Hoogma [technical director of the federation] talked to him. I promised nothing, but communicated, in my own way, that I see a future for him within the Netherlands team." This Insta post in Dutch says basically the same thing with a bit more info: https://www.instagram.com/p/B3UmIgqoGWL/?igshid=j76qenr0iutg Dunno if this has been posted, but basically it says: Koeman: "I have indicated to him that I see a future for him at Oranje" Ronald Koeman still hopes that Sergiño Dest chooses a career with the Dutch national team. The right back of Ajax recently sat around the table with Koeman and Nico-Jan Hoogma, technical director of the KNVB. Dest's experiences this season, relatively out of the blue, his breakthrough in the first team of Ajax. The quick right back has both a Dutch and an American passport and therefore has to make a choice regarding his international career. "Nico Jan Hoogma and I have talked to him. We have sketched the picture about his future with the Orange", Koeman says to the NOS in the run-up to the Netherlands - Northern Ireland. . "I don't promise anyone, but I told him that I see a future for him at the Dutch national team. He has decided to take the time. That he has not traveled to the US now indicates that it is not a foregone conclusion for him ", says Koeman about the Dest case.
I know I shouldn't read between the lines too much, but that makes it seem like Dest is leaning towards the US.
Seems like there's a behind-the-scenes full court press from Dest's US teammates to bring him fully into the fold.
That makes more sense. I thought it was kinda odd that it was mentioned that he seemed a little bitter about not being contacted by the Dutch.
I've sense that bitterness in a couple of statements and interviews from Dest. He's also correctly pegged Americans as a bunch of fakers: "Alex: “I was in the supermarket last week and I said ‘Hi, how are you?’ to the cashier. She gave me a strange look. But that’s just the way I greet people.” "Sergiño: “Dutch people don’t do that, unless they really do want to know how you’re doing. They’re very down to earth, while Americans can exaggerate sometimes. Everything is over the top, including their friendliness. It can be extreme!”"
Translation: It's the fake in the friendliness that is extreme. Which is why I can so appreciate BS. Here, we don't fake our unfriendliness......