USMNT defender Sergiño Dest was dropped from the starting XI for PSV Eindhoven’s Champions League game against Napoli after he arrived late for the team’s pre-match preparations on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old had been due to start but was demoted to the bench by manager Peter Bosz, with Ryan Flamingo selected at right back instead. Bosz told Ziggo Sport before kickoff that Dest, who had been chosen as the player to preview the fixture alongside the coach at yesterday’s pre-game press conference, had arrived “much more than a second” after the agreed time.
“Sergiño was late today, so he won’t be playing,” Bosz said. “This isn’t a difficult decision. We made agreements three years ago. Everyone has to abide by them, and so does he. Unfortunately, he didn’t. That’s very unfortunate for us and for him as well, because he would have loved to show himself. But these are the agreements.
“If you’re not on time, you know the consequences. I didn’t hesitate for a second to overlook it.”
Speaking as he sat beside Bosz on Monday, Dest, who has 35 caps but was left out of the USMNT camp for this month’s draw with Ecuador and victory over Australia, said games such as the Napoli one are why he became a player.
“You go into a Champions League match with a different focus,” he said. “You have to show character. Such matches are just different to play. For these matches you want to become a professional footballer. It’s a chance to compete with the best in the world.
“We have to be sharp and put pressure on. If we do that we can take them out of their game. Serie A is a great league, with strong teams. Napoli is one of them. They will be hard to beat. They have good players and a great coach.”
It is not the first time Bosz has responded ruthlessly after poor time keeping from PSV’s American contingent.
In September 2023 he dropped USMNT star Malik Tillman, who moved from PSV to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen this summer (and missed Tuesday’s match vs. PSG with a thigh injury suffered on international duty), from the squad for an away game after he missed a morning meeting before the team made the trip to face Almere City.
“I overslept,” Tillman told The Athletic in an interview last year. “I didn’t make it to the training ground and when I knew I wouldn’t get there in time I called the team manager and told him. At first, he said OK come straight to the hotel but then he called again and said he’s spoken to the coach (Bosz) and I should stay home. So, yeah, I stayed home. I apologized to the team and afterwards I showed I have learned from it.
“I need to show it will never happen again.”
Dest has now learned the same lesson. He has started all eight of the defending Eredivisie champions’ league games this season, and one of their three Champions League fixtures so far, as he attempts to put an injury-riddled 2024-25 campaign behind him.
