Giovanni “Gio” Reyna US National Team Discussion

However, Gio and Gregg acted professionally in 23/24 for the betterment of the national team. BOTH can be given credit for that. It sure seemed like the World Cup issue was water under the bridge between those two.

What do I expect? That the same would happen if Sebastian Berhalter and Gio are part of the national team together. They'd work it out.

You don't have to be best friends with all of your co-workers...............................

 

at some point though he has to earn it and when was the last time gio was good for the usmnt? its been a while

 

Of course he needs to play and leaving him off until or unless he does is sensible.

When has he not been good for the USMNT? Never. Even last camp in a handful of minutes whilst hobbling around like he’s 53 instead of 23 he’s dropping dimes like no one else in the pool.

Any actual fan wants a healthy and in form Gio and Seb playing well for club and country. Weirdos with para social relationships to our players inserting themselves into family drama and reveling in the rough patches of players who’ve proven themselves in a U.S. shirt… those aren’t fans.

 

Yep, and he's got CWC, and he's got a new team to move to and a better situation. i don't have any problem with him being out. The only things that are likely to improve his standing with the national team is a full physical recovery and return to the fitness he had '19-'21 or close to it, and a move to a team with a plan for him that makes sense, and, lol, a great medical staff. Anything else, and he's irrelevant in '26. At this point too many damn injuries and fitness issues and it is critical that our attack figure out how to function and generate chances with him gone, because there's a decent chance he'll be absent next June. Whether it's Luna, Tillman, both or someone else, we simply need to be able to cope with next man up, when it comes to Reyna's health and performance issues, the teams drop in performance, especially chances produced without him is so incredibly appalling we really have no choice (which is one of the reasons I found it so utterly asinine what lineup we went with in NL, and how Luna was used. How someone can thing McGlynn makes sense in the role is utterly beyond me....hopefully we don't make that mistake again next month. The amount of times Luna keeps having to prove himself to orgs, to coaches and what not reminds me of the b.s. Dempsey had to deal with when at Fulham every time they changed a manager. Luna's our best centralized attacking playmaking option, it's patently obvious that's so. Figure out how to have him and Tillman functioning effectively together, DONE). Easier said then accomplished, I know, but that should be objective #1 along with fixing the team/CB defense and goalkeeping problems too.

 

What's crazy is there's a non zero chance that someone was a close relative

 

The injury is between the ears.

 

Berhalter faced a similar problem with Ream last go-around in 2022. Ream was not impressive. GB dropped him from the build-up a year before the WC. Then he saw he needed a CB due to injuries and Ream had shown substantial improvement in the Prem, GB called him in. Ream was surprised and had to cancel family vacation plans. Btw, Ream had a very good WC. That is what Poch should do with Reyna.

 

One of the byproducts of Reyna being out / diminished / Injured / whatever is that Poch has moved Pulisic to that spot and then the wingers aren't as dangerous. Now with Malik and Luna there's a chance that even if Reyna's not back another player is good enough to let Pulisic and Weah be wingers and hopefully a forward without missing body parts is able to show up to add something. If it was two years later I think Mathis and Cavan would be in the mix but There's sort of a mini missing cycle now that should be adding players that's not so much - covid related?

 

There’s just a talent lull. Kind of fits my theory on the importance of WCs to kids aged 10-13. The Pulisic YNT class was an aberration (they are the inspired by 2010 age cohort). The next couple birth years were less fruitful but still steps up and maybe the new normal. Then there’s maybe this lull which corresponds to 2018.

 

What spot. This was the v Panama formation

Pulisic Sargent Weah
Tessmann Adams McKennie
Scally Ream McKenzie Musah
Turner
​

USA: 1-Matt Turner; 6-Yunus Musah, 3-Chris Richards (20-Mark McKenzie, 79), 13-Tim Ream (Capt.), 19-Joe Scally; 8-Weston McKennie, 4-Tyler Adams, 11-Tanner Tessmann (12-Jack McGlynn, 68); 21-Tim Weah, 9-Josh Sargent (16-Patrick Agyemang, 68), 10-Christian Pulisic

https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/20...ighlights-match-recap-concacaf-nations-league

 

Other websites have it listed as a 4-2-3-1, with Pulisic in the number 10 role.

E.g.: https://www.espn.com/soccer/lineups/_/gameId/723669

I've done my best to forget that game, so I can no longer recall which one is accurate.

 

I posted the US Soccer site lineup. The CBS broadcast had it as a 4-2-3-1 with McKennie at the CAM slot!

Kickoff at 0:30!

 

We started the Panama game defending in a 4231 with Weah at LM, Pulisic at AM, and Wes at RM. In possession that shifted into a 3223 with Scally staying home. Musah pushing up to RW from RB. Wes sliding in to RAM. Pulisic shifting to LAM and Weah attacking at LW.

In the second half Wes and Pulisic swapped spots. Scally also released forward more and played more like a fullback.

 

You're going to die on this hill aren't you?

There's a lot of things that can be said about Gio, but I'm just curious if you personally know him? Do you speak to him? Aside from your personal dislike of Gio and your perception from afar, I'm not sure anything has ever been brought up by someone who would actually know about "Between his ears"

But you continue down this path.

It's honestly comical.

 

The man literally had a broken leg that kept him out for a long time, and then took him a while to recover from. I'm still not sure that he's right.

We know players that have had broken legs that never were the same player again.

Saying his injury is "between the ears" is silly. I'm sure there are some mental aspects to this. Of course there are. That's why sports psychologists exist.

But the man had a broken leg. Just because it wasn't some terrible Steve Zakuani break doesn't mean it wasn't a serious injury.

 

Don't let facts get in the way of his/her argument. LOL

I've never understood the pure perceived hatred for anyone that wears the USA Shirt. I want every single athlete to be absolutely amazing and great and do the best possible, then the coach can pick from 100+ amazing guys on the pitch. Sometimes it seems like certain posters actually want to see some of these young guys fail. Oh well...perhaps they are the ones that have the injury "between the ears" or some past deal where someone like Gio stole their wheaties and they can't get over it all these years later...

 

I am fully aware of his USMNT stats (TM says 8g/5a). And I also never said anything about "Seb" (Who? Sebastian Berhalter? Is that who "Seb" refers to??).

Reyna has scarcely played for his club for years. YEARS. I don't care what the reasons are anymore. He's got to play, for someone, before meriting a callup to the USMNT. His track record is not Landon Donovan's, and (veteran) Donovan was the only player in the program I'd have ever been inclined to call up regardless of his situation.

 

I think its really simple. Does Poch and staff think Gio can help the team or is someone else likely to be better.

If management thinks he can still be one of the best 23 (or 26 whatever the roster number happens to be( then you call him in. If management doesn't think he is in the top 23 then you don't call him in.

What you don't do, IMO, at this point is to call him in just because he once did something. And really that should apply to every single player.

 

Some players get the benefit of the doubt when they're not playing or playing very little.
Christian Pulisic only played 850 or so minutes in the 2022/2203 Premier League season with Chelsea. Just couldn't get consistent playing time. Some nagging injuries and then couldn't break back into the lineup when he got back healthy.

He'd just built his position to the point that the USMNT staff gave him the benefit of the doubt.

Gio Reyna was sorta in that position under Berhatler. Gregg relied on him in the 2024 Nations League despite not playing for Dortmund. [For which he was criticized by Marsch and others.] Now we have a new staff, though. All the previous performance under previous regimes doesn't matter so much. The players have a clean slate, for better or worse.

It would have been very interesting to know whether Reyna would have been called up if available. We'll never know I guess. Poch had good and not-so-good things to say about him during the last camp.

 

That was one season and was just the EPL.

Gio has played less than that in each of 4 successive seasons, across all competitons.

 

In the end, one thing EVERYONE will agree on, is Gio needs a new location and he needs to play and play consistently.

If that happens, then everything will sort itself out. Either he finds the success he had earlier and even exceeds it or he ends up not being able to find that level again. But none of that is going to happen at Dortmund sitting.

 

Instead of making Gio Reyna’s 4 years in the desert about me or about phantom 3-year injuries (that are not supported by facts), why don’t you provide an explanation for why I have been right and you have been wrong.

 

Weird I didn't post about injuries.

But perhaps you can explain what your deal is with Gio. Show us on the doll where Gio hurt you.....

Maybe you can tell us your first hand knowledge of how he is "between the ears". I know you're all talk, it's been that way since your first day here...