Sergiño Dest to miss CONCACAF Gold Cup, further weakening US in last tournament before World Cup

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Sergiño Dest to miss CONCACAF Gold Cup, further weakening US in last tournament before World Cup

2025-06-05 23:53 Last Updated At：06-06 00:01

CHICAGO (AP) — Sergiño Dest was 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.

“The technical, medical and high performance staffs have done a series of evaluations this week on all the players in camp, and in the case of Sergiño we determined the best decision is for the player to have an individualized training program for the summer so he can focus on being fully recovered and ready to perform next season,” coach Mauricio Pochettino said in a statement Thursday.

Dest, a starter at outside back, tore an ACL during training with PSV Eindhoven on April 20, 2024, and returned to action March 8. He appeared is seven matches, including four starts, but didn’t play a full 90 minutes until the season finale on May 18.

John Tolkin, who transferred in January to Holstein Kiel from the New York Red Bulls, was added to the roster and was scheduled to arrive at training Thursday.

Trying to rebound after flops in last summer's Copa America and the CONCACAF Nations League in March, the U.S. already was missing Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Antonee Robinson, Yunus Musah, Folarin Balogun and Gio Reyna.

Pulisic wanted time off, Robinson had knee surgery on May 27, Balogun has an ankle injury and Musah asked out for a reason the U.S. Soccer Federation didn't specify. Weah, McKennie and Reyna were blocked from the tournament by FIFA, which ruled team's in the Club World cup have priority to players.

The only players on the 26-man roster who started in the second-round loss to the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup are goalkeeper Matt Turner, central defenders Tim Ream and Walker Zimmerman, and midfielder Tyler Adams.

The Americans have friendlies against Turkey on Saturday at East Hartford, Connecticut, and Switzerland three days later at Nashville, Tennessee, then meet Trinidad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia and Haiti in the first round of the Gold Cup.

The Gold Cup will be the last competitive matches for the U.S. before it cohosts the 2026 World Cup.

Fifteen players are from Major League Soccer and seven could make national team debuts: goalkeepers Chris Brady and Matt Freese; defenders Alex Freeman and Nathan Harriel; midfielders Sebastian Berhalter and Quinn Sullivan; and forward Damion Downs.

The roster:

Goalkeepers: Chris Brady (Chicago), Matt Freese (New York City), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace)

Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus), Alex Freeman (Orlando), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Miles Robinson (Cincinnati), John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville)

Midfielders: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds); Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis), Luca de la Torre (San Diego), Diego Luna (Salt Lake), Jack McGlynn (Houston), Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia); Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven)

Forwards: Paxten Aaronson (Utrecht), Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte), Damion Downs (Cologne), Brian White (Vancouver), Haji Wright (Coventry City)

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Thousands of nurses go on strike at several major New York City hospitals

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.