USMNT in UCL: Sergiño Dest Scores First Barcelona Goal, Konrad de la Fuente Makes Club Debut
Sergino Dest's timing could not have been any better.
The U.S. Men's National Team right back became the first American to score for Barcelona, sparking the La Liga side to a 4-0 victory against host Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
Playing without Lionel Messi and with the Group G game scoreless in the 52nd minute, Dest made the most of a well-timed overlapping run.
After taking a pass from Martin Braithwaite in close quarters, the 20-year-old Dest powered home a seven-yard shot to the lower left past goalkeeper Heorhii Bushchan to become the 10th USMNT player and also first U.S. defender to score in the Champions League.
The first player to score for @FCBarcelona and 10th #USMNT player to score in the @ChampionsLeague! Well done, @sergino_dest! (@UCLonCBSSports) pic.twitter.com/CdFRVFV6JJ
— U.S. Soccer MNT (@USMNT) November 24, 2020
Another American also made some history as USMNT forward Konrad de la Fuente made his debut for the Spanish powerhouse, replacing Francisco Trincão in the 83rd minute.
De la Fuente, 19, who became the record seventh American to appear in the 2020-21 competition, set up Dest for a scoring opportunity in the 89th minute. Dest, however, sent his shot over the goal.
Konrad de la Fuente becomes the 7th American to play in the #UCL this season pic.twitter.com/kV5ZBcXLLH
— Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) November 24, 2020
With the win, Barcelona clinched its sixth consecutive appearance in the UCL knockout round.
It turned out to be a fruitful day for a few of Dest's USMNT teammates as well:
Gio Reyna continued his memorable November as Borussia Dortmund moved closer to clinching a knockout round berth behind a 3-0 Group F home win against Club Brugge.
While he did not score or assist on a goal Tuesday, Reyna certainly had his moments. On Dortmund's first goal in the 18th minute, he applied some pressure on goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, who punted the ball into traffic at midfield. The Bundesliga side gained possession before Jadon Sancho set up Erling Haaland's 10-yard goal from the left side.
USMNT teammate and goalkeeper Ethan Horvath, the hero of Brugge's 2-1 win at Zenit St. Petersburg on Oct. 20, sat in reserve for the Belgian side.
Midfielder Weston McKennie became the first American to start for an Italian club in the UCL as Juventus overcame a one-goal deficit to register a 2-1 Group H win at Ferencvaros on an injury-time goal by Alvaro Morata.
Tyler Adams was in the squad but did not play in RB Leipzig's 1-0 loss at Paris St-Germain.