Milan right wing-back Sergino Dest admits the United States are ‘hyped’ ahead of their curtain-raising 2022 FIFA World Cup match against Wales. Drawn into a highly competitive Group B alongside England and Iran, the USMNT will have to play out of their skin to make it out of the group stages.
The United States’ journey in Qatar gets underway on Monday at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium. After missing out in 2018, Gregg Berhalter’s men navigated a nerve-shredding CONCACAF qualifying group. They locked down the final automatic qualification berth, courtesy of a superior goal difference on fourth-placed Costa Rica.
But even though Berhalter boasts an exciting young squad filled with up-and-coming talents, the results preceding the tournament cannot inspire much confidence. After drawing a blank in both friendlies in September’s international break (D1, L1), it’s a bit off they opted against scheduling a warm-up game in November.
However, the expectations among those back home are still high. Dest, who has yet to find his feet at Milan, remains a significant first-team fixture at the national team. The Barcelona loanee has failed to impress in Serie A, yet he was instrumental in the USMNT’s qualification for Qatar.
While Milan boss Stefano Pioli prefers other options in the right-back position, Dest should be one of the integral components in Berhalter’s set-up. During the USMNT’s pre-Wales conference, the 22-year-old revealed he and his teammates are ‘hyped for the game.’
“I’m ready to play with the team,” he said, as quoted by Eurosport. “We’re really hyped for the game. We’re all really concentrated. The game against Wales is really important, so we’re going to give everything out there on the pitch.”