Sergino Dest scores, Sebastian Lletget nets brace for USMNT in win over Jamaica

Sergino Dest and Brenden Aaronson scored while Sebastian Lletget added a late brace in the United States' 4-1 win over Jamaica in a friendly. 

The match at Wiener Neustadt Stadium in Austria marked the return of Chelsea's Christian Pulisic to USMNT duty and Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah's first appearance since committing to Gregg Berhalter's side over England. 

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Dest gave the U.S. the lead in the 34th minute when the Barcelona man ran down the left flank and curled a stunner into the net. It was his first international goal, and comes days after scoring twice for Barca in a 6-1 win over Real Sociedad in La Liga action. 

"He told me he was going to score," Berhalter told ESPN at halftime.

Dest played Thursday's match as a left-back despite having emerged as a consistent right-back option with Barcelona since joining from Ajax.

"Right back is good for me and left back is good for me,'' Dest said. "I don't prefer any, to be honest. I just like to play the game.''

"He's really strong on both sides,'' Berhalter said after the match. "On the left, what you get is what you saw tonight, the ability to come inside and combine and then shoot for himself, create for himself, open up the field dribbling inside. On the right side, it's more of a vertical type of game.''

Pulisic, in his first USMNT game since 2019, had some good moments in the first 45 minutes, including a free kick that sailed just over the goal right before halftime. His link-up with Dest on the left side of the field grew as the half progressed. 

"The chemistry is good right now, off the field and in the field," Dest said. "But, yeah, I think if you play more often, it's only getting better.''

Aaronson, who came on for Pulisic for the second half, doubled the lead in the 52nd minute off Joshua Sargent's pass across the goaline with a close range effort. But the FC Salzburg player was quick to point out Dest's performance.

"Sergino's sick, he's so good," Aaronson said.

The Reggae Boyz were able to pull one back in the 71th minute when they pounced on the counterattack, with Jamal Lowe chipping the ball over Zack Steffen for the goal. The team were missing several star regulars due to an ongoing financial dispute with the Jamaica Football Federation dating to qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.

The 22nd-ranked Americans, preparing for a Nations League semifinal against Honduras in June and the start of World Cup qualifying in September, have seven wins and a draw in their last eight matches, and they've outscored opponents 23-3 in winning four consecutive friendlies.

"I thought we got better and better,'' Berhalter said. "The only thing we lacked was the movement behind the back line.''

Lletget sealed the match in the 83rd minute when the LA Galaxy veteran hit a low driving shot from just inside the box. He made it two on the night when he slotted in a goal in the waning minutes of the match. The 28-year-old Lletget has become a regular with the national team since returning in late 2018 from a severe foot injury suffered in a World Cup qualifier against Honduras in March 2017.

"I'm pretty low key,'' he said. "I hope they keep getting in the limelight, and they deserve it.''

Jordan Siebatcheu, who plays for Swiss side Young Boys, came on as a late substitute for his first USMNT action. 

The U.S. next play Northern Ireland in Belfast on Sunday.