Hips were misaligned and it caused a bunch of issues...really sad. I still think the best American at his peak of all-time. We've never had a player at his level at the '02 WC before or since. '03 AC Milan-Ajax CL quarterfinal leg 2: AC Milan scored a goal in the 90' to get into the semifinals. O'Brien started that match along with: Zlatan, Sneijder, Christian Chivu, Pineaar with Jari Litmanen and Nigel de Jong coming off the bench. Milan had Maldini, Nesta, Inzaghi, Svenchenko, Rui Costa, Rivaldo amongst others...
I'm not there yet on declaring him a poor defender. He has shown all the traits at Ajax to be an exceptional right back defensively. Sometimes defenders take a little longer to get their positioning and angles down. He's only 18, after all. The fact that he had problems in his first start with the senior US team on the left side under GB?.... Jury's still out for me.
Did he? He got nutmegged on the first goal after containing Tecatito in a couple of previous duels. He didn't lose any balls, he was able to get out of jams with his touch and quickness. He didn't go up much because we were defending mostly. I thought he did well for his first time.
I said he “is” as in the present. He MIGHT become a good defender. He also might not. I do not blame him for problems playing for the US on the left. However watching him all year with Ajax, I wouldn’t say he is particularly great at anything defensively. Maybe pressing once the ball is lost? But other elements he is not good (yet).
Interview: https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-states-usa/story/3989140/sergino-dest-says-some-ajax-teammates-didnt-like-his-us-choice "On this side, the American side, a lot of people were happy. They gave me compliments," Dest told reporters ahead of Friday's CONCACAF Nations League match against Canada (live at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2). "But on the other side they were mad. They said I'm raised over there, and why didn't I play for the Netherlands because I'm raised over there, I'm born over there. In soccer it's going different, you know. A lot of things happened." Nonetheless, the 19-year-old admitted to a sense of relief at finally having made his decision.
When Dest made his decision, he felt a sense of relief, I'm sure, but imagine how we felt! Relief doesn't begin to describe it.
Nutmegs happen. To the best of them. Defending against nutmegs is, in large part, about footwork. For an outside back, hat footwork is a bit different defending a player on the left than on the right. The other part of the equation is not letting him past you if he does beat you on a nutmeg....that is just experience. Anyone can grab or obstruct a player as he attempts to run past him. At this point, I think we have greater things to worry about than Dest' weaknesses on defense.
We are so friggin lucky he chose us. This kid is a stud in the making. Too bad we don't have the talent to let him play on the right side where he is far more comfortable.
Dest truly believes we have the talent coming up the pipe plus the current talent (Puli, Wes, Adam, Sargent, Stephen, Brooks, Yedlin). With him, you got 8 starters. Add to that list the U20 cream of the crop of Richards, Gloster, Ledezma, Mendez, Paxton, Servania, Weah, Llanes, and Soto. And from the U23 Cappis, Sabbi, Parks and Dotson. All you need is for 3 prospects to pan out and now you have a very special young starting 11.
That doesn't even count some of the U17s that are a bit further down the road...Reyna, Scally, Bello etc.
We've given up too many goals through the fullback position for Dest's defense not to be an issue. I'd love see him at RM/RAM/RWF for the team.
How do you know this? Did you hear the interview? Doesn't really matter anyway - so what if a few teamates questioned his decision?
I wonder if the solution might be a rules change, allowing us to sub Dest in whenever we have possession and sub him out when we don't.
Well if we are going to talk about Dest as a full NT player, I care about what level of defender he is at this point. That's part of the deal when you have 19 year olds in defense with the NT. There are no guarantees that he will become a better defender. Maybe he will, maybe he won't but to pencil him as starting RB the next 10 years is incredibly naive.
I don't disagree, I didn't pencil him in at RB and I don't believe he should be penciled in anywhere yet. I can see him deserving it at some point but not quite yet. That being said, I would add that the rest of the club season should give him quite a bit of experience and a more accurate and meaningful evaluation can be done then. (It's not really his level now that is important but his level when we begin games that will actually advance or hinder our chances at the WC). I would say that if he has shown meaningful and noticeable defensive progress between now and that point, he will probably be the best outside back on the squad (left or right).
Fair enough... but he certainly passes the eye test out there for me... at least offensively.... and after watching him play 6 or 7 games for AJAX I think some of the comments about his defensive deficiencies are overblown. After everything shakes out if he moves to the midfield it really doesn't lessen his value in mind. BTW... for those harping on him for getting megged against Mexico please remember that he is a right back and it is not terribly easy to just switch sides of the pitch.
He's a baller, awesome to watch him in the first half. Interesting situation playing him on the right as it benches Cannon and Yedlin who are both pretty good.
Why? If you are thinking that we will be more defensive playing on the road, then we should be starting Cannon, not Yedlin.