USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino said Sergiño Dest's fitness would be best served if he sat out the Gold Cup this summer.

Sergiño Dest has been dropped from the U.S. roster for the CONCACAF Gold Cup over fitness concerns, leaving the Americans heading to the tournament with just four players who started in the team’s final match of the 2022 World Cup.

Nearly a dozen USMNT regulars are missing, in some cases controversially. So, a World Cup dress rehearsal has instead become a tryout for fringe players.