USMNT: Top 3 left-backs for 2022 World Cup qualifying

1. Sergino Dest

You could make an argument that Sergino Dest is already the best defender in the USMNT talent pool. He might have only turned 19 last November and broke into senior football this season, but he is playing at a level higher than any other American defender — and by quite some distance.

He is also playing well. Dest has two goals and five assists in his first senior season for Ajax. He has illustrated superb crossing ability in the final third, and he boasts the baseline athleticism that is required to play the full-back position in the modern game.

Ordinarily, he would be considered at right-back, and given the limited squad sizes, his versatility will come in handy. But with both DeAndre Yedlin and Reggie Cannon available on the right flank, Dest is more needed on the left. Of his three USMNT caps, two have come at left-back.

Dest has the skill and versatility to perform at a high level on either side. For that reason, he sits atop the left-back list. But should another option emerge, he could swap between the two and be the best at either.