Sergiño Dest is set to face a familiar opponent on Wednesday when the U.S. Men's National Team plays Bosnia-Herzegovina in Santa Clara. The familiar face is Esmir Bajraktarevic, Dest's club teammate at PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
Dest, who holds dual citizenship with the U.S. and the Netherlands and was born and raised in the Netherlands, committed his international career to the USMNT in 2019. Bajraktarevic, a Wisconsin native whose parents were Bosnian refugees, previously represented the U.S. at youth and friendly levels before officially switching his allegiance to Bosnia for the 2026 World Cup.
Despite the club relationship, Dest stated he had not spoken to Bajraktarevic in the lead-up to the match. "He is a good player, a technical player," Dest said. "He also had to make the choice between the U.S. and Bosnia. He chose the other side, but hopefully he [will] regret it after Wednesday."
Dest added that he likely wouldn't communicate with Bajraktarevic until after the game. "After the game we can talk. We'll see what happens on Wednesday. Our focus is big."
The USMNT is preparing for its Round of 32 match, reflecting on lessons learned from the 2022 World Cup campaign. Dest, one of 13 players on the current roster who also participated in 2022, believes the team has evolved significantly.
"I think we're a different team right now," Dest commented. "We've improved a lot in the last couple of years, and I think we showed it in the first couple of games. We're all a little bit older. We've got a lot more experienced players at the moment and we have better chemistry and we're in a better headspace."
The team returned to a full training session on Sunday after a loss to Turkey on Thursday night. The players had a recovery day Friday and were off Saturday to spend time with families.
Striker Folarin Balogun, who has scored two goals in the tournament, described Saturday as a day to "reset" and "relax." He added that the team had the opportunity to "switch our mindset and focus on the game Wednesday." Balogun also noted his personal approach to high-stakes matches, stating, "I find it pretty easy just to not get caught up in the occasion. It's another game — and it is an important game — but it's something I personally enjoy."