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USMNT Rewind: Sergiño Dest Makes History With Two Goals for Barcelona

Photo Courtesy La Liga Images
By: Michael Lewis

It took Sergiño Dest some 1,513 minutes to score his first La Liga goal.

 

It took him only 10 minutes to record his second and make some history as well on Sunday.

 

The U.S. Men's National Team defender struck on either side of halftime in Barcelona's 6-1 triumph against Real Sociedad to become the first American to bag a brace and the USA's all-time leading goal-scorer in Spain's first division.

 

Dest, 20, joined USMNT teammates Jozy Altidore and Yunus Musah as the three players who have scored in La Liga.

 

Playing as a wingback in Barca's refigured 3-4-3 formation, Dest played his best game since joining the Spanish side just before heading to USMNT training camp.

 

With the visitors nursing a 1-0 lead in the 43rd minute, Dest ran onto a Lionel Messi feed on the right flank and fired a shot from the top edge of the goal past Real Sociedad goalkeeper Remero.

 



 

On his goal in the 53rd minute, Jordi Alba made a brilliant run down the left flank and ran parallel to the goal line before sending the ball to the American defender. Dest then smashed the ball home from six yards for a 3-0 advantage.

  

He will join his USMNT teammates at training camp in Wiener Neustadt, Austria ahead of two friendlies this week. The Americans meet Jamaica in Wiener Neustadt, Austria on Thursday, March 25 before taking on host Northern Ireland in Belfast on Sunday, March 28.

 


THEIR CUP RUNNETH OVER

 

When Christian Pulisic and Zack Steffen get together at USMNT training, it wouldn't be surprising if there was just a little smack talk between the two players. Both of their English Premier League teams not only reached the FA Cup semifinals, but they will face off on the weekend of April 17-18. Regardless of the outcome, a USMNT player will be represented on one of the rosters for the May 15 final at Wembley.

 

Deployed as Manchester City’s “cup goalkeeper” this season, Steffen backstopped the Sky Blues to a 2-0 win over Everton. City has extended its club record to 17-consecutive unbeaten away matches -- the last 14 of which were all victories.

 



 

The 25-year-old goalkeeper wasn't tested too often in the encounter. Steffen recorded his fifth clean sheet in 10 appearances across all competitions for City this season, conceding only five times. He has been the understudy to one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Brazilian international Ederson, a key figure in the team's enjoying a 14-point lead with eight games remaining in the EPL season.

 

On Sunday, Pulisic was named Man of the Match in the Blues' 2-0 win over Sheffield United as the home side extended its unbeaten run to 14 games and reached its 25th FA Cup semifinal. While he wasn’t able to cash in on a couple of close encounters, Pulisic stood out as an influential presence in his 83 minutes on the pitch. Not surprisingly, the 22-year-old attacker was fouled four times by Sheffield foes.

 



 

 

In fact, it turned out to be a pretty good five days for Pulisic, who assisted on Emerson's insurance goal four minutes into stoppage time in its 2-0 victory over Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

 


SOME HAPPY CAMPERS

 

Here are some highlights of players who will join the USMNT in Austria this week:

 

Forward Jordan Siebatcheu celebrated his first call-up to the national side with an 87th-minute goal and an assist for Young Boys in its 4-0 triumph against FC Zurich on Sunday. He set up Quentin Maceiras with a quick pass for the first goal in the 33rd minute before finding the net himself off a left-wing feed from Ulisses Garcia from two yards for the final tally. The 24-year-old striker has been on fire of late, tallying 10 goals in 24 league matches and 13 across all competitions. 

 

 

Chris Richards assisted on Ihlas Bebou's 39th minute goal in Hoffenheim's 2-1 home loss to Mainz in the Bundesliga on Sunday.

 

Braces seemed to be in vogue with the USMNT this week. On Wednesday, Daryl Dike tallied twice for Barnsley in its 3-1 victory at Wycombe Wanderers in the English Championship. Dike, on loan from Orlando City SC, had a strong first half but did not find the net in a 2-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

 



  


TALKING TURKEY

 

Forward Tyler Boyd enjoyed a dream five minutes for Sivasspor in its 5-3 away victory against Goztepe in the Turkish Super Lig on Saturday, scoring twice. Boyd’s second and third goals came just five minutes apart, scoring in the 41st and one minute into first-half stoppage time. Sivasspor needed all those goals and more. After building up a five-goal lead after 55 minutes, Goztepe stormed back with three during the final half hour.

 

DeAndre Yedlin started Galatsaray's home match with Rizespor on a high, striking for the first goal in the 14th minute of its 4-3 defeat in the Turkish Super Lig on Friday. The defender left the contest on a low after accumulating two yellow cards, resulting in a 79th minute dismissal.

 

Neither Boyd or Yedlin could attend this week’s USMNT camp due to local quarantine restrictions in Turkey. 

 


FULL RUNDOWN:

 

-- Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig; German Bundesliga) – 90 minutes in a 1-0 win at Arminia Bielefeld (March 19)

 

-- Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg, Austria Bundesliga) - 89 minutes in a 1-0 win at LASK (March 20)

 

-- Paul Arriola (Swansea City, English Championship) - Injured, DNP in 1-0 loss vs. Cardiff (March 20); Injured, DNP in 3-0 loss at AFC Bournemouth (March 16)

 

-- Tyler Boyd (Sivasspor, Turkish Super Lig) – 68 minutes and TWO GOALS in 5-3 win at Goztepe (March 20)

 

-- John Brooks (Wolfsburg; German Bundesliga) – 90 minutes in 2-1 win at Werder Bremen (March 20)

 

-- Reggie Cannon (Boavista; Portuguese Primeira) – 64 minutes in 2-0 loss vs. Farense (March 21)

 

-- Cameron Carter-Vickers (Bournemouth; English Championship) – 90 minutes in 3-0 loss to Southampton (March 20); 90 minutes in 3-0 vs. Swansea City (March 16)

 

-- Konrad de la Fuente (Barcelona; Spain La Liga/Segunda B) - Not in 18, DNP in 6-1 win at Real Sociedad (March 21); Not in 18, DNP in 4-1 vs. Huesca (March 15)

 

-- Luca de la Torre (Heracles; Eredivisie) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Sparta Rotterdam (March 21)

 

-- Sergiño Dest (Barcelona; Spain La Liga) – 84 minutes and TWO GOALS in 6-1 win at Real Sociedad (March 21); 69 minutes in a 4-1 win vs. Huesca (March 15)

 

-- Daryl Dike (Barnsley; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 2-1 loss vs. Sheffield Wednesday (March 20); 90 minutes and 2 GOALS in 3-1 win at Wycombe Wanderers (March 17)

 

-- Nicholas Gioacchini (Caen; French Ligue 2) – 90 minutes in 2-2 draw at Chateauroux (March 20); 90 minutes in 2-0 loss vs. Le Havre (March 15)

 

-- Julian Green (Greuther Fürth; German Second Bundesliga) – 69 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. Nurnberg (March 21); 23 minutes as substitute in 2-1 win at Jahn Regensburg (March 17)

 

-- Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge; Belgian Pro League) - In 18, DNP in 2-0 loss vs. Antwerp (March 21); In 18, DNP in 4-0 win at Gent (March 15)

 

-- Duane Holmes (Huddersfield Town; English Championship) – 60 minutes in 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday (March 17)

 

-- Matthew Hoppe (Schalke; German Bundesliga) - 76 minutes in 3-0 loss vs. Borussia Moenchengladbach (March 20)

 

-- Aron Johannsson (Lech Poznan; Polish Ekstraklasa) - 14 minutes as substitute in 3-2 loss vs. Jaiellonia Bialystok (March 20)

 

-- Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italian Serie A) – 17 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 vs. Benevento (March 21)

 

-- Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) - In 18, DNP play in 2-2 draw vs. Standard Liege (March 19)

 

-- Matt Miazga (RSC Anderlecht; Belgian First Division A) - 90 minutes in 4-1 win vs. Zulte-Waregem (March 21)

 

-- Alfredo Morales (Fortuna Düsseldorf; German Second Bundesliga) – vs. Bochum (Monday, 3:30 p.m.)

 

-- Yunus Musah (Valencia; Spain La Liga) - 3 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 win vs. Granada (March 21)

 

-- Owen Otasowie (Wolverhampton Wanderers; English Premier League) - Not in 18, DNP in 1-0 loss vs. Liverpool (March 15)

 

-- Erik Palmer-Brown (Austria Wien; Austria Bundesliga) – 90 minutes in 5-3 loss vs. Wolfsberger AC (March 21)

 

-- Christian Pulisic (Chelsea; English Premier League) – 83 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Sheffield United in FA Cup (March 20); 13 minutes and ASSIST as a substitute in 2-0 win vs. Atletico Madrid in UCL (March 17)

 

-- Tim Ream (Fulham; English Premier League) – In 18, DNP in 2-1 loss vs. Leeds United (March 19)

 

-- Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; German Bundesliga) – 66 minutes in 2-2 draw at Köln (March 20)

 

-- Bryan Reynolds (AS Roma, Italy Serie A) - In 18, DNP in 2-0 loss vs. Napoli (March 21); Not in 18, DNP in 2-1 win at Shakhtar Donetsk (March 18)

 

-- Chris Richards (Hoffenheim; German Bundesliga) – 76 minutes and an ASSIST in 2-1 loss vs. Mainz (March 21)

 

-- Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) – 90 minutes in 2-1 loss vs. Leeds United (March 19)

 

-- Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen; German Bundesliga) – 58 minutes and an OWN GOAL in 2-1 loss vs. Wolfsburg (March 20)

 

-- Jordan Siebatcheu (Swiss Super League) - 90 minutes and a GOAL in 4-0 win vs. Zurich (March 21); In 18, DNP in 3-0 loss vs. Ajax in Europa League (March 18)

 

-- Zack Steffen (Manchester City; English Premier League) – 90 minutes in 2-0 win at Everton in FA Cup (March 20); In 18, DNP in 2-0 win vs. Borussia Moenchengladbach in UCL (March 16)

 

-- Tim Weah (Lille; French Ligue 1) – 45 minutes in 2-1 loss vs. Nimes (March 21); 62 minutes in 3-0 loss at Paris St-Germain (March 17)

 

-- DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray; Turkish Super Lig) - 79 minutes and a GOAL and a RED CARD in 4-3 loss vs. Rizespor (March 19)

Go Deeper

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