sport news Sergino Dest was born in the Netherlands but has a point to prove vs. them for ... trends now

When Sergino Dest takes the field at Khalifa International Stadium this Saturday for the USA's round of 16 matchup, the prospect of a potential elimination won't be the only thing weighing on his mind.

As he lines up at right-back, he'll see a familiar color, with former teammates speaking in his native tongue.

Three years after committing to play for the USMNT, the Dutch-born defender will play against his country of birth for the first time with a trip to a World Cup quarterfinal on the line.

Dest played for the US U-17 and U-20 squads in his younger days in relative obscurity, and partook in two friendlies for the US in September 2019 (which did not cap tie him).

But attention on the fledgling right-back continued to grow that year as he battled with the likes of Chelsea and Lille in the Champions League, and before long, Gregg Berhalter faced competition to keep Dest in the USA program.

Then-Netherlands' manager Ronald Koeman attempted to convince him to join the Oranje, while Gregg Berhalter would later fly to Amsterdam to meet with the youngster as both sides sought a decision. 

Ultimately, the US won out in the defender's mind, as Dest - born to a Dutch mother and Surinamese-American veteran father - decided to keep the same colors on his chest.

'My heart told me the US was the best option for me,' he told ESPN after making the decision. 

'I was raised in the Netherlands. I love it here. But in life, you have to make difficult decisions. I felt the US was the best option. I had played in their youth teams, and I feel at home there.'

Since debuting for the US vs. Mexico in 2019, Dest has solidified his spot on

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