Giovanni “Gio” Reyna US National Team Discussion

If I'm Poch, i don't change anything for the Australia match. Loved having Tillman with Adams. I think McKennie did outstanding. Bring in Gio as a sub later on and see where you want that attacking to come from.

But I loved his lineup, it's the one I've been hoping for.

I'm a huge Gio supporter and my entire posting history here will show that. It'll also show I've been advocating for Tillman next to Adams.

But to me, as I've said numerous times, you're picking from McKennie or Gio at that start. it worked with McKennie, Gio did great later coming in as a sub. It's hard for me to find a place to start Gio in the lineup that doesn't impact the starting roles.

 

The whole point of bunkering is to catch the opponent on the break. A mobile defensive midfielder can help stop that. It'll allow both Dest and Jedi to push forward and not worry too much about defending.

If you're going to start Reyna you'd start him in for Dest or Tillman. I don't see that happening.

 

I believe that the way to play against a lot block is not to hammer then with attackers (that's what they want) but to pull them out of position.

The CM/DM and CBs are an important part of that. If you're constantly recycling the ball you are tempting their midfielders to start chasing it and that creates gaps in behind them.

England are really good at this, as they are using to playing technically inferior teams. Sometimes they overdo it which frustrates the hell out of the fans (especially my Dad).

 

Watch Rodri today. He's doing Tyler's job.

Yamal will be playing the role of Gio Reyna.

 

I think it's going very similarly to how Friday will.

Rodri's xG so far is 0.09.

 

Take my comments on the context that Spain are a much better team than USA, Yamal is a much better player than Gio and Australia are a more attacking threat than Cabo Verde.

Given those caveats I expect Friday to be just like this.

 

I don't see our friends down under making it 84 minutes having committed only 1 foul. That discipline and not giving FKs sure helps their cause.

 

Yeah though he’s not quite been the same player post injury. Still very good of course.

 

It can be very hard to play against a well organized low block even when you’re Spain.

 

I mean maybe? It was a great goal no doubt, but was I the only one seeing the usual petulant, whining Gio before the goal, jogging around as usual? We know he can score goal of amazing skill, everyone knows that. What he doesn’t do, and I still haven’t seen him do, is put in the grit, the running, the tracking back. He will never be a regular for any team until that happens.

 

They only committed 12 against Turkey. The US committed 13 against Paraguay.

 

Yes.

 

I'm a pretty big Gio fan but I'm not sure the World Cup is the best place to test this out... unless the final group stage game doesn't matter very much.

 

I fully agree with this assertion, but I think today was really just a case of Spain forgetting their finishing boots in the locker room. Score should not have been 0-0.

 

Yeah I mean Spain dominated but I also think it’s about lack of cutting edge in the final third given they have no elite 9 and their star wingers only played part of the game and are coming off injury.

 

Weird I got the 30.8 number from the “infamous” ESPN piece from last fall.

 

Where are the sprint stats for this WC? Someone posted 25.5 (assuming km/h) for Reyna. Source?

 

Bundesliga | Statistics 2025/26 | Players | Top speed (km/h) https://share.google/tVIClhvgD9zwzMv7L

Gio is #436 30.7 km/h

In 21/22 he was 33.88 (Chris Richards 34.09, Scally 33.4, Pepi 33.38, Tillman 32.8)