HEAVEN, Nevada – If Gio Reyna is all disappointed that World Cup 2022 Coach Gregg Berhalter is back United States men’s national team leadership this fall, it certainly didn’t show in Sunday’s 2-0 win Canada brought Americans for the second time in a row CONCACAF National Football League title.
Reyna played only 45 minutes of the match; he was substituted after halftime with what US Soccer said was a calf injury. But in his brief game time, the 20-year-old blue chip attacker scored both goals for the United States with eye-catching assists. The performance, though cut short, was still good enough to earn Reyna’s Man of the Match award.
“When Gio is at his best,” USMNT captain Christian Pulisic then said, “We know what he can do.”
Reyna starts both games in the US this month; he’s also one of the Americans with a standout performance in last week’s 3-0 down Mexico. After a difficult season when he was sidelined for nearly a year with a hamstring injury, Reyna was almost exclusively used as a substitute for both Germany teams. Borussia Dortmund and the United States team at the 2022 World Cup, he clearly enjoyed his time on the field in two games. Since he had the whole year, he counted every minute.
American midfielder: “He’s phenomenal when he has the ball” Walker Zimmerman speak. “Especially in the transition he can pick up the tempo and put us in attack and obviously create good chances for the team. So he did really well tonight. Unfortunately he made a mistake.”
The severity of his injuries was not immediately known.
“We haven’t had a chance to do a full assessment yet,” said US interim coach BJ Callaghan. “[But] For him to come out, you know, it’s got to be something.”
A team spokesman later told reporters the wound was believed to be just a bruise, which would have been a blessing given his history. Reyna “politely declined” to speak to reporters after the game, according to the same official.
In some ways, that’s understandable. Reyna has not commented since it was announced that Berhalter would return to his place for the 2026 World Cup cycle. It is no secret that Berhalter nearly sent the player home from last year’s World Cup after last year’s World Cup. when Reyna refused to take the role from the bench. The youngster, who has been deployed on the wing for most of his three-year international career, is behind Pulisic and Tim Weah on Berhalter’s depth chart at Qatar 2022 and let everyone know he’s not happy about it.
The matter was resolved internally and Reyna apologized to her teammates. But when Berhalter, who did not want to be named, discussed the incident in an allegedly unrecorded leadership meeting just days after the Americans were disqualified by Netherlands In the round of 16, it caused a string of bad events that nearly cost the coach his job. Although Berhalter was eventually rehired, it’s safe to assume Reyna would enjoy a fresh start with a different boss.
On Sunday, Reyna’s feet spoke. The best that can be for both the player and the US team is that he will continue to play after Berhalter returns. His teammates are clearly ready to move on.
“For me, there is no problem with Gio,” Pulisic said. “What happened, happened. For me, I have a great relationship with Gio. I love playing next to him. He is a great player and he will help us move forward. up no matter who the coach is.”
If he can prove he’s a 90-minute player, that’s it. After the World Cup, Reyna only started one of Dortmund’s last 19 matches in the league. He hasn’t made it to the BVB squad once in the final three-and-a-half months of the season, although he has been a constant game changer from the bench, from which he has scored five of seven. Bundesliga goals in the 2022-23 season.
If Reyna becomes a full-time player in Germany next season, that will give Berhalter a headache over selection. Pulisic is clearly a stopping point when it comes to health, and Weah isn’t far behind either. Meanwhile, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie And Yunus Musah have established themselves as the coach’s favorite midfield trio. With Adams recovering from surgery this summer, Reyna started playing a central role this month and has performed brilliantly.
Pulisic said: “When he came in, I thought he was dangerous and caused a lot of problems. And you can see that today.”
And by all accounts, he did whatever was required of this camp.
Callaghan said: “We challenged Gio to do more work with the ball on the defensive side, and he fully took advantage of that opportunity.
That’s another good sign for someone who, given his age and abilities, has a seemingly limitless ceiling.
“He’s a great player,” Zimmerman said. “We know what he brings to this team.”
Doug McIntyre is a football writer for FOX Sports. Prior to joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was an editor for ESPN and Yahoo Sports, and he covered the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams at various FIFA World Cups. . Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
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