Giovanni “Gio” Reyna US National Team Discussion

He'll be 27 in summer 2030, which should be the prime of his career. But until he improves his fitness and defensive abilities, he'll probably always just be seen as an attacking sub by mid-table clubs. Which might be well enough for his bank account, but he could do better, and so could the USMNT.

 

For the discourse (45' vs 90'):



https://i.imgur.com/xRi133v.png

(Edit: f*ck it, no idea how to get this stupid board to embed images.)

 

Excellent Belgium central playmaker Tielemans versus useless immobile Gio Reyna:

 

You keep calling Gio useless and immobile. That seems a bit extreme.

 

I thought Reyna showed he was both useful and mobile. Not very useful and not very mobile, but at least he has something he can build on, he’s not the lost cause some suspected.

 

Parma plz get back in the game guys.......you know you want to get those sweet Gio passes

 

He'll never be a lost cause because he gives about 5 minutes of flash every so often and that's usually enough to provide a highlight moment or two and reinvigorate hope he will become something lol. Personally i think he's a glorified mixtape merchant who doesn't keep himself consistently involved in games enough to be anything more than an intriguing super sub. But he will stick around because every so often he'll do something incredible and people will start believing again for a little while.

Good news is now that i've made this declaration about him he'll put it together and blow up next season and make me look dumb. Not that I would mind that one bit

 

I assume (hope?) the poster is being sarcastic. I think the point is that Reyna’s numbers from that game are comparable to, sometimes better than, Tielmans’ if you adjust for minutes played.

 

At this point, I wouldn't want to guess whether or not Reyna will still be playing in a top league, let alone picked for USMNT in 2030. He's always had that something that makes people take notice and leads them to believe that he will be special. Not just special in the context of USMNT, but special in a global sense. Will he ever unlock his apparent potential or will he leave us all waiting for him to show up at our door? I guess we have 4 years to find out, but I think this next year is critical.

 

Sorry that is just not true. See for yourself.

I assume you know that you can't simply adjust sub physical data to 90 minute data because for one thing players get tired.

https://www.fifatrainingcentre.com/...ts/fifa-world-cup/2026/PMSR-M94-USA-V-BEL.pdf

 

Thing is, though, Reyna is one of these polarizing players who is only a disappointment in comparison to what some people thought his potential was in 21-22. Was he Jude Bellingham? No, then he sucked. But he was objectively *good* versus Belgium in the context of the role Poch put him in. It's possible Reyna picks up some kind of career-ending injury in the next four years, but it's more likely he remains as mobile, or maybe puts together a string of a few seasons and gets his injuries under control and picks up a few kph. If so I would put money on him being in the squad in 2030 (and probably 2034) unless the player pool improves radically and 3-4 more elite "skill" midfielders emerge (vs utility CMs or "destroyers").


Player │ Pass acc. │ Duels won │ Dispossessed │ Turnovers │ Verdict
─────────┼───────────┼───────────┼──────────────┼───────────┼────────────────────────────────────
Reyna │ 87.5% │ 75% │ 0 │ 4 │ Composed, secure, won his battles
Adams │ 96.7% │ 29% │ 1 │ 4 │ Crazy passing, physically outmatched
Freeman │ 82% │ 80% │ 1 │ 18 │ Won duels but turnover-prone
McKennie │ 79.5% │ 14% │ 3 │ 15 │ Completely overwhelmed
Tillman │ 80% │ 44% │ 2 │ 14 │ FK goal (deflected) but wasteful
Pulisic │ 88.9% │ 25% │ 2 │ 13 │ Anonymous, lost the ball constantly

 

Scathing.

 

It is a tradition by now for clubs to shit on every player who didnt pan out for them.
With that being said...
Oof.

 

I mean...............the fitness issues are tied to the injury problems. Right?

Reyna now has another fresh start in France. He's keeping the dream alive. He just scored a beautiful goal at the World Cup. He can do THAT in the right environment.

There are plenty of players who fall by the wayside. Nobody has some sort of God-given right to play this sport. This might be Reyna's last shot at the big time.

I was listening to a podcast today that was talking about Jadon Sancho. A former teammate of Gio's at Dortmund. He's 26 and can't find a club. He's available for free. The commentator said this is a player that might be retired by 28. He was training with a 10th tier club in England just to stay fit. They said he might have an opportunity in Saudi Arabia or Turkey.

 

I've felt for quite a while that Lique 1 or La Liga would be a much better fit for Gio than the Bundesliga or EPL. I had hoped for Marseilles in the past but hopeful with the move to Strasbourg

 

I've never seen anything like that. Our center-forward just walked out on us two weeks before the start of the season and our owners wrote:

"During his time with us, we have rejected several bids which did not meet our valuation – however we feel this latest offer represents fair value and he therefore moves on with our thanks and best wishes for the future.”

 

Me: (finishes reading article and picks up phone)

911: Hello, 911, how can I help you?

Me: I'd like to report a murder . . .

 

It's true that fitness issues are tied to injuries.

Then again, have you considered the possibility that successful rehab from injuries is closely correlated to a having a work ethic?

 

How very dare you!Hope you dont wind up on Mom's Insta!!!

 

If only Unai Emery could've scooped him up. No clue if he'd actually be able to do anything with him but he's the manager getting hyped at the moment for his reclamation projects.

 

We understand that fitness is a problem with Gio. No matter what we believe the reason is.
Maybe I'm naive (probably), but I've always thought it was just a problem that's resulted from all of his injuries. That injuries have simply taken their toll. I give him the benefit of the doubt. Not a work ethic problem. How would I know?

In club soccer, Gio didn't play a 90 minute game this 25-26 season.
He didn't play a 90 minute game in the 24-25 season.
He didn't play a 90 minute game in the 23-24 season.
He didn't play a 90 minute game in the 22-23 season.

You know the coach that showed the most faith in Gio as a 90 minute player?
Not Poch, who has never played Gio for 90 minutes.

It was Gregg Berhalter. The coach that's showed the most faith in Gio was Berhalter in his 2nd term. Played him 90 minutes in that do-or-die Copa America game against Uruguay, for instance.

History is going to completely flip that Berhalter-Reyna kerfuffle at WC22. Maybe it already has.

 

Reyna should've gone to Chicago then.

 

Injuries were definitely a factor with his fitness. The question is whether it was the factor or part of other challenges (mental or otherwise). Your summary above is not good. It shows a player who can't play a full game. Does his talent warrant having him on a roster as a 45-60 minute player or super sub?

However, he appears to have shown some maturity over the past year (how he handled the WC). They key may be whether his body can respond. Good luck to him.

 

reyna and lewa would wreck mls.