Yeah......................but how many games has Reyna actually started with the USMNT? True story: Gio Reyna has only started 3 games that mattered for the USMNT. He only started one WCQer. That was the disappointing road draw in El Salvador. Based his current situation, I think Reyna is the least likely of the 4 being discussed to start.
Reyna essentially started all 8 of the first 8 A-team matches he was available for - i.e., lineups where Berhalter fielded his strongest available XI. Then he got injured. Sure, most of those were friendlies, but I think that still shows how highly Berhalter rates him when he's healthy and fully fit.
People do understand that Gio Reyna has played one 90 minute club game in the last calendar year. Right? He's only started three games in the last calendar year, and had to come off injured in the first half of the last two. The last time after only 6 minutes. The fact that we're projecting him to make the World Cup at all is a sign that we know Berhalter holds him in high esteem. His resume in the last year is nonexistent, though. So who can pick him to start over Aaronson right now? We have to actually see him healthy and perform.
Right, all of this depends on whether Reyna can stay healthy and pick up where he left off in the '20-21 season. If he can't, then this becomes a much more straightforward call for Gregg.
If healthy Reyna is likely to start if for no other reason that he's the best free kick/corner taker.
Musah started the same number of friendlies, yet GB thought he wasn't ready to play in the NL games. I don't buy the reason Musah just got back from injury because 3 days after the NL finals, GB played him the full 90 vs CR. With GB, you don't know what he is going to do next.
Yes, I completely agree. I wasn't saying he couldn't do it, was just pointing who has to sit for him to start. All of those guys could be performing at a high level. Include Reyna and 2 of them are sitting no matter what. It's a good problem to have. Also allows us to bring in an offensive spark and manage minutes over the tournament.
Yes, there is the curious case of Yunus Musah who has basically started every A team game available beginning in 2020 and continuing today -- outside of a brief one week window in the summer of 2021. That said, the fact that Musah has started so much in the past year in competitive games suggests to me that all the starts he received in friendlies prior to the NL were indeed indicative of how highly Berhalter rated him. And unlike Musah, Berhalter did start Reyna in his first (and second and third) available competitive game, so that says even more in my mind about what Gregg thinks of him.
For the World Cup, feel like starting 11 is a bit of an artificial concept. The matches are stacked so close together there will need to be a lot of fluidity in terms of who plays.
Out of Aaronson, Reyna, and Weah, TWO of the three is going to sit. If you want to play TWO of those three, then one of Mckennie, Musah, and Adams will need to sit.
Isn't there also a a very close family relationships between Berhalter ans Reyna? He's watched him grow up. May be the little nudge he gets over others if there's a tie.
Claudio Reyna and Berhalter were high school teammates and roommates for the USMNT. They are long time family friends, and Berhalter has known Gio since he was a baby. I don't know if Reyna really needs the nudge given his skillset. We have six high quality wingers and or center mids (8/10), and four can play unless we move someone to a forward spot. Pretty much all of them will play big minutes. Pretty much all of them have a shot to force more minutes. And sadly, there's a good chance we'll have at least one hurt. It's pretty hard to have a definitive discussion now, though I agree a couple of these guys simply aren't getting benched for chemistry reasons barring a complete disaster.
Option B is better than option A. Weah is our best threat at wide right. CP a and Reyna (when healthy) will start. If only we could lose the notion that a nonproducing center forward has to start …
I believe we must really disagree on the importance that a really good pressing forward has on a team. Having watched both Ferreira and Pepi with both FCD and the US I can tell how much they impact the other teams ability to get the ball out of the back. I do agree with on pure offensive impact but then we haven't actually seen Reyna do it so it's more of a theory. I do think it's too late now with Reyna and especially if he's not playing that role for Dortmund. Hopefully next cycle a few of our young forwards really take off so we don't have to consider Reyna there unless he's actually playing there every week.
Pulisic came off the bench twice in WCQ, so it's not unprecedented. One of those games was vs. Mexico. Our biggest opponent in the region and Christian didn't start.
In World Cup Qualifying, Ricardo Pepi and Jesus Ferreira have combined to score 4g and 4a in about 850 minutes. Outside of WCQ, Jesus Ferreira has scored 6g and 3a in 440 minutes, but mostly against creampuff teams. I understand the questions about strikers, but I also think it's odd to refer to them as "non-producing." I think perhaps people's expectations of production are pretty overblown. Or perhaps just too centered on goals on a team where every single winger we have is more likely to score than assist except maybe Gio Reyna ... who has been hurt.
Front line pressing is vital. The fanbase is very reactive to counter-attacks, understandably, but the best way to stop counters isn't what people focus on (the players back) but rather a strong frontline counterpress. It's why nearly every team that brings people up counterpresses for a moment or two. Don't let the long pass get off until your players get those vital 3-4 steps moving back. Even if we didn't employ a more constant press, I'd want to counterpress. If you bring up more than four or five guys into attack ever and you don't, you are asking for so much trouble.
He was coming off injury, though, so there was some reason for it. I simply can't see it being worth the drama unless the gap is large. You are going to rotate and sub anyway; I could see Aaronson having nearly the same minutes after the group stage as Pulisic, especially with some CM play as well. Does it matter who gets the starting nod?
Yup. Plus...............the fact is that all of Pulisic, Weah, Reyna, and Aaronson all missed important matches this cycle with injury. Aaronson himself missed the last critical WCQing window with a knee problem. Reyna's just next level. He's barely played in the last calendar year. I mean, Paul Arriola started our do-or-die qualifier against Panama in that last window. And of course Paul Arriola missed out on the first window with an injury. Do people remember that we were so thin in our first qualifying window that Konrad de la Fuente started on the left wing? People always bash guys like Roldan. Ya know what? Roldan is always available. Didn't miss a single important game this cycle due to injury. Was healthy for the 2021 Gold Cup, 2021 Nations League, all of the World Cup qualifiers, the recent Nations League window, etc. People always say "why the hell was Roldan on all of those rosters!!?" Well, a combination of the other guys is injured or suspended. Roldan is always available and "next man up."
It would be an easy choice if Reyna had well-rounded CF qualities. His aerial game is weak at best I can't remember the last time he scored on a header. There is a reason why he prefers either the wing or the midfield.
I think you are dead wrong about this. The only guy who acts insecure is McKennie. Musah is obviously concerned as the "new kid on the block" but he should get over that and start playing the complete game in his tool kit without worries about his status. As for Reyna, his physical condition is reason to not start him. We can't set up an entire game plan only to have him motion for a sub after 10 minutes of play v. Wales. He needs to have his own "track" towards health. Things may look different in November but September is the crucial month because the way we leave the field in September is how we arrive in Qatar. They say there's one week between the Premier League break and kick off in Qatar. There's no dress rehearsal. Getting to Aaronson, I'm not sure what people are looking at when they say he has yet to 'earn his starting spot'. It's pretty obvious he fits like a glove with Ferreira, Pulisic and Weah. If Pulisic is going all out, he'll need a sub at around 65' or so if he is going to last 5 games. That's where Reyna comes in, imo. Yet another reason for Aaronson starting is his stamina. No brainer.