The United States Men's National Soccer Team face a historic opportunity at Qatar 2022. By making it out of Group B, the USMNT set up a meeting with the Netherlands in the Round of 16.
Though the farthest the Stars and Stripes got at a FIFA World Cup was a third-place finish in 1930, it's been two decades since the USA got past the last 16 of the tournament, when they reached the quarterfinals at Korea/Japan.
Therefore, all eyes will be on Gregg Berhalter's men on Saturday. But one of the biggest storylines about this game will also be the fact that one of the USMNT's stars could have chosen to play for the Dutch national team.
Sergiño Dest could have represented the Netherlands instead of the USA
USMNT right-back Sergiño Dest was born and raised in Almere, a small city a few miles away from Amsterdam, the capital city of the Netherlands. While his mother is Dutch, Sergiño also had an American passport thanks to his Surinamese-American father.
On October 28, 2019, Sergiño Dest announced his decision to play internationally for the USMNT instead of the Netherlands. Before comitting to the USA, Dest had already represented their youth teams — while he felt rejected by the Dutch program.
"Every time I got to the [last round of selection] for the Netherlands youth team, I didn't make it," Dest said in an interview with ESPN in 2020. "I was like 's---, s---, s---,' but my dad reminded me I also have an American passport."
Though he didn't visit the country until he was 14, Dest said he felt comfortable at the US' youth camp since day one. In the end, the Ajax product believed that he belonged in the USMNT.
"My heart told me the U.S. was the best option for me," Dest said. "I was raised in the Netherlands. I love it here. But in life, you have to make difficult decisions. I felt the U.S. was the best option. I had played in their youth teams, and I feel at home there. It's not as if the U.S. is bad at soccer, either. They play in World Cups -- and against a lot of the same teams as the Netherlands."
Time proved that last sentence right. Destiny wanted the USA and the Netherlands to face each other on the biggest of stages, in what will probably be an emotional game for Dest. Using this World Cup Predictor, you can see every potential outcome of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
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