Sergiño Dest opens USA account with flair in 4-1 friendly win over Jamaica
Sergiño Dest scored his first international goal with a spectacular 25-yard shot, Sebastian Lletget added a pair of second-half goals and the United States beat Jamaica 4-1 in a friendly on Thursday night in Austria.
Brenden Aaronson scored for the US in the 53rd minute. Jamal Lowe got Jamaica’s goal in the 70th minute on a counterattack, chipping goalkeeper Zack Steffen after Andrew Gray slipped a pass by right-back Reggie Cannon.
Christian Pulisic returned to the US lineup for the first time since October 2019 and played the first half. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, this was just the third match on a Fifa fixture date for the Americans since November 2019.
The Americans, preparing for a Nations League semi-final against Honduras in June and the start of World Cup qualifying in September, have seven wins and a draw in their last eight matches, and they’ve outscored opponents 23-3 in winning four straight friendlies.
Dest’s goal came after he received a pass just inside the Jamaica half, beat two men and then curled the ball past the goalkeeper from 25 yards out.
Dest, a 20-year-old making his sixth international appearance, started atleft back. Dest is mostly a right-back and occasional winger at Barcelona, where he is in his first season and scored his first two goals last weekend at Real Sociedad.
Pulisic was replaced at the start of the second by Aaronson, and Chris Richards took over at center-back from Aaron Long. Aaronson played Gio Reyna free in the 52nd minute, but Reyna took a poor first touch and could not finish.
Aaronson doubled the lead in the 53rd minute with his second international goal, from a pass from Josh Sargent, who had dribbled around Ethan Pinnock. Lletget scored twice in the final minutes.