Less than two months before Copa America kicks off in the United States, Gregg Berhalter has been given a potential selection issue as right back for the United States men's national team. Sergino Dest has picked up a knee injury with PSV that could put his participation in the tournament in doubt. While there isn't a definitive timetable on how long the injury will sideline Dest, according to The Athletic, it could keep him out for nine months. That not only causes issues with Copa America, but also with PSV making Dest's loan from Barcelona a permanent move, putting his future up in the air.
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Not only is Dest the unquestioned starter at right back, but he's also the primary backup for Antonee Robinson at left back. In 33 caps for the national team, the team has a record of 18-8-7 when Dest starts with three of those losses coming with him at left back. With the USMNT picking up four losses during Dest's career during non-January Camp matches that he didn't appear in, his importance to the side is quite clear. Dest's passing abilities can help overload teams and as he has gotten more experience during his career, Dest has also become less of a defensive liability as well.
You need to look no further than the Concacaf Nations League semifinals where Dest was suspended to see his importance. Joe Scally started the game and was out of his depth, being beaten for Jamaica's opening goal and the match ended with Weston McKennie playing right back to push the pace forward. If Dest can't go, we've taken a look at the options to replace him, but to say that they're lacking would be an understatement.
Chris Richards, who should be the starting center back at Copa America maybe being the best option says all that you need to know about the player pool. While Richards has been a strong performer for Palace this season, moving him will not only cause Berhalter to need to reshuffle his back line, but also his playstyle. Richards is a more conservative passer and stay-at-home defender, which helps keep clean sheets against top teams, but not when it comes to actually attacking against them.
Tim Weah may have played right wing back for both Lille and Juventus, but it's a very different world playing as a wing back in a back five compared to a right back in a back four. The defensive obligations are higher and if Berhalter moved Weah from winger to right back while plugging someone like Gio Reyna at winger ahead of him, he'd be asking teams to target his right flank all day. As Jesse Marsch succinctly put it on the latest episode of CBS Sports Golazo Network's Call It What You Want, "He doesn't look comfortable there." It might take a shift to a back three to accommodate Weah in a more natural position, but that creates issues as well due to then requiring a midfielder to be dropped.
For more from Marsch, Charlie Davies, and Jimmy Conrad, don't miss Call It What You Want, the CBS Sports Golazo Network's one stop shop for all things USMNT related. Catch it Mondays on the the streaming channel, or any time in your podcast feeds.
With Tyler Adams back from injury -- sort of -- midfield is full with him, Yunus Musah, and McKennie. Even if Adams can't start a game, Johnny Cardoso and Reyna would then come knocking for central positions. Midfield has been one of the USMNT's strengths, so disrupting that midfield would be more trouble than it's worth. Looking at other right back options, Scally has shown that he should be a backup unless he shows rapid improvement ahead of the summer, DeAndre Yedlin is useful but likely doesn't bring enough to the table to defeat teams like Brazil, Shaq Moore is injured, DeJuan Jones could be an option and Nathan Harriel has been impressive for the Union but would be better served starting at the Olympics than being on the bench at Copa America.
Berhalter will have tune up games against Colombia and Brazil before beginning the group stage against Bolivia but there's no denying that the lack of depth in defense is a concern. When the goal is getting through to the knockout round and winning at least a game, you always want to have your best options available but Dest's injury will truly test both the USMNT's depth but also Berhalter's tactical shuffles to make advancement happen.
