Dest and Konrad: Doubly proud night for US soccer

24 November 2020 has been a day of many firsts, as FC Barcelona beat Dynamo Kyiv 4-0. But it was an especially memorable night for US soccer, with not one but two Americans featuring for the blaugrana.

Sergiño Dest became the very first US citizen to score for the senior Barça team, and his USMNT colleague Konrad de la Fuente came on towards the end of the game to make his official debut.

In fact, it was first time two Americans had played side-by-side in a Champions League game since Tim Howard and Jonathan Spector did so for Manchester United in December 2004.

Barça’s first US scorer

Dest, filling in for the injured Sergi Roberto, completed his mission in style, causing plenty of danger with his speed up the wing. Goals are not normally his duty, in fact it’s almost a year since he last scored, playing for former club Ajax at the time.

But supporting a Martin Braithwaite attack, the 20-year-old suddenly found himself better positioned to score, and did so with remarkable composure – finally putting the Catalans ahead after a deadlocked first half on a bitterly cold night in Ukraine.

Konrad gets his chance

Miami born Konrad, who has been at the club since at the age of 12, has been called up to the squad on several occasions already this season, but until now coach Ronald Koeman had never sent him onto the field.

With ten minutes remaining, it finally happened for the 19-year-old in a month that has aklso seen him make his first senior appearance for Team USA in a friendly against Wales. The winger replaced Francisco Trincão, and although much is being said about the promising young starlet, he wasn’t really on the field long enough to show us what he is really made of.

But tonight was just the beginning. No doubt we’ll be getting to see more of him in action as the season progresses.