Sergino_dest_-_asn_top_-_psv_vs._porto_2026-10-20
Wednesday kickaround

Dest stars in PSV win, Open Cup final tonight, USMNT to host Jamaica, & more

ASN helps you celebrate the middle of the week with a look at the top stories across the globe with regards to American soccer
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
October 21, 2026
9:00 AM

HAPPY WEDNESDAY TO all ASN readers. While it has been a quieter start to the week, we now have Champions League games, the MLS 22 Under 22 list to break down, a look to the Open Cup final, and the announcement of the final USMNT game of 2026.

 

Champions League: Dest stars in PSV win

 

Sergino Dest was likely the best player on the field on Wednesday for PSV in an important 1-0 win over Porto in the Champions League. It was one of his best outings in a long time, which was telling in that it came just a few days after PSV lost to ADO den Haag in the Eredivisie (which Dest also started).

Dest was exceptional on both sides of the ball and his best moment came late in the game when he made a game-saving clearance to preserve the win. On the play, Pepe rounded PSV keeper Matej Kovar and had an open net but Dest sprinted to the endline for a clearance.

Dest is well known for his elite and explosive dribbling along with a powerful shot, but it was refreshing for his defense to be the defining story of the game.  

 

Champions League: Cardoso & Freeman

 

The rest of the Champions League was underwhelming for American players.

Johnny Cardoso played the last 21 minutes for Atletico Madrid in a 1-1 away draw against Stuttgart. Cardoso entered the game five minutes after Atletico was reduced to 10 players after a red card to Morten Hjulmand. Cardoso did not do much but helped see out the draw on the road.

Alex Freeman came off the bench for Villarreal in the 60th minute of its 4-3 loss to Liverpool. The score was 2-2 when the USMNT right back entered the game. Villarreal took a 2-0 lead in this game but collapsed in the second half.

Mathis Albert was an unused sub in its 2-1 win over Sabah. U.S. U-20 goalkeeper Giorgio De Marzi was an unused sub for Roma in a 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava

 

MLS names 22 Under 22

MLS unveiled its annual 22 Under 22 awards to rank the league’s top 22 players under 22.

The list was pretty good.

  1. Cavan Sullivan
  2. Julian Hall
  3. Adri Mehmeti
  4. Mbekezeli Mbokazi
  5. Justin Ellis
  6. Peyton Miller
  7. Neil Pierre
  8. Niko Tsakiris
  9. Manu Duah
  10. Brooklyn Raines
  11. Frankie Westfield
  12. Ronald Donkor
  13. Taha Habroune
  14. Mateo Silvetti
  15. Bruno Caicedo
  16. Owen Wolff
  17. Reed Baker-Whiting
  18. Cooper Sanchez
  19. Ervin Torres
  20. Jude Terry
  21. Matthew Corcoran
  22. Kaick Ferreira

 

It is a bit harsh to get into the specifics because this is the deepest list the league has ever had for these rankings. I felt that Cavan Sullivan and Peyton Miller were one and two. After that, the list could have been arranged any other way and still have been a valid opinion.

In terms of my quibbles, Matthew Corcoran was ranked way too low. He has an important starting midfield role with a Nashville team that is the best team in the league. Also, Tate Johnson should have been on the list. Johnson leads all USYNT eligible players in minutes this season. Like Corcoran, Johnson also starts at left back for a very good Vancouver team.

Often in these lists, characteristics such as consistency, reliability, and contributing positively to winning teams is overlooked. Players that routinely play well for top teams have a lot of responsibility and have earned the trust of managers to win.

Johnson and Corcoran do not have a lot of goal contributions compared to others on the list, but that isn’t their job. Their jobs are to follow through with a game plan to win, and that is something these players do very well.

 

Crew vs. St. Louis in Open Cup final

 

The Columbus Crew hosts St. Louis City tonight in the final of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Crew are seeking their second Open Cup triumph while St. Louis has never won the tournament, or any other tournament, since its 2023 inaugural season.

Both teams have been playing much better in the second half of the season. In May, the Crew fired head coach Henrik Rydström and promoted its second team coach Laurent Courtois as the interim coach.  They enter this game having won five of the last six games and are now just a point out of the playoffs.

U.S. Olympic hopeful Taha Habroune has scored goals in his last three games and has been on a terrific run of form since August.

St. Louis saw its 21-game unbeaten run snapped on Saturday with a loss to Minnesota. The concern for St. Louis in this game, however, is that starting forward Rafael Navarro is not eligible to play because he played for Colorado in the Open Cup earlier in the tournament. With the rules stating that a player cannot play for two different teams in the same tournament, the designated player is out. Navarro has been in great form since arriving from Colorado with eight goals and four assists.

 

USMNT to take on Jamaica

 

The USMNT’s historical “January Camp” will now take place in early December with the camp concluding on December 13 with a friendly against Jamaica in Ft. Lauderdale.

The new timeframe of this camp is due to MLS teams now starting preseason earlier in January. But with the league adopting an August-May calendar starting fall 2027, it remains to be seen if this will be the last edition of the camp that always falls outside of a FIFA window.

Many of the program’s best players in history earned their first caps in a January Camp and it typically has been a way for USMNT head coaches to look at young and upcoming players in the league.

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