Sergiño Dest, an international player for the United States, expressed his surprise at the overwhelming fan support during their 3-2 friendly victory against Senegal on Sunday in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The match drew a reported crowd of 57,741 at Bank of America Stadium, predominantly cheering for the USMNT—a contrast to past experiences in tournaments like the Gold Cup, where fan support can be more diverse.
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This positive turnout serves as a promising sign as the U.S. prepares to co-host the upcoming World Cup with Canada and Mexico.
“We’ve played in venues without support, but to see a stadium packed with USA fans is special and exactly what we need,” Dest commented from the U.S. pre-World Cup training camp in Fayetteville, Georgia.
“We truly appreciate this kind of backing; it motivates us. Just look at the result we delivered … a win against Senegal, so we rely on this kind of support.”
Dest noted that scoring in the seventh minute, assisted by Christian Pulisic, provided him with an “extra boost,” and he aims to maintain this momentum.
The U.S. is set to face Germany in its final warm-up match for the World Cup on Saturday at Soldier Field in Chicago, prior to their opening World Cup match against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles on June 12.
“Scoring makes you more motivated and happy to contribute to the team,” he said. “But we need to keep this going.”
“It’s a significant win for us, especially against Senegal, the reigning champions of Africa. The upcoming game against Germany will also be crucial.”
Dest emphasized that the USMNT is taking a measured approach to the result against Senegal and the upcoming match against Germany.
“Friendlies are just that—friendlies,” he remarked. “You never know if the opponents or we will field our strongest lineup. We’re all in a phase of exploration, and the World Cup brings a different level of pressure for everyone—it’s much more serious and cannot be compared to these matches.”