Is he the playmaker the US needs in the middle or is his ability largely overblown? And if not Reyna, who - keeping in mind Reyna's experience and his fine showing in the last WC?
Personally, I think the team still could very much use Reyna. He gets slagged around here because he's not flashy and isn't singlemindedly offensive, but I think his positives far outweigh his negatives. I guess everybody who thihnks we can't use a guy like Claudio anymore or think he should fall to a right back rol think it is just coincidence that he was on the all World Cup first 11. All you have to do is look at how the team has played this year. Sure, they have done reasonably well in beating the teams they should, but were horribly exposed against Argentina and managed no goals against Mexico. Throughout, the team's most glaring weakness has been possing the ball through the middle of the field and playing under control, the two very things Reyna brings. The only option that nears Claudio right now id O'Brien, and I still think that for now Reyna is a better, more polished player. I think O'Brien has just as much skill and is more offensive minded, but Claudio is more tactically astute and sees the field better. Claudio has a more dramatic overall impact on the way a game goes. Perhaps a guy like Convey could be ready by 2006, especially considering he's likely to get a lot of chances with O'Brien and Reyna in Europe and unavailable for long stretches, but personally, I still expect to see either Claudio or O'Brien in the middle of the park, if not both. And, relying on an unproven kid to lead the center of the field into the World Cup is a gamble I just don't see Bruce taking unless something dramatic happens.
You have struck the nail squarely. Without Reyna we have a one dimensional team that lacks any kind of midfield finesse, any kind of vision, any concept of switching fields to take advantage of open space. With Reyna we have all of these options. He is a playmaker and currently, the only one the US has that can play this role at the highest level. I always wince to watch the US play without Reyna. We fall into this pattern of building play from the backs and looking to hit one or two target men quickly. I understand that the US style for the next few years will be a counterattack style, but it needs to be a counterattack orchestrated from the midfield by someone who has vision. John O doesn't yet have the vision or maturity. He may soon - and I hope he does - but he's not ready to surplant Claudio. We just have to hope Claudio can stay together in one piece for the next few maturing years.
I agree with both of you guys, but just wait till the Reyna haters show up and start spewing their venom. You'll be sorry for even starting this thread. Its that ridiculus.
I wouldn't go so far as to say we lack any kind of midfield finesse, vision, or concept of switching fields... but I do think Reyna brings more of these skills to the table. If Reyna is healthy and we're playing more skilled teams, Reyna should definitely be the man in the middle. But, for the teams that we should beat, and even in some friendlies for teams that will challenge us, put one of the younger guys in. No harm in testing the young boys. As for Bobby getting the looks because JOB and Reyna are over seas, this might only be the case for the short term. I'd expect for Bobby to take a trip across the pond as soon as he's got enough International playing time with the Nats. And, that could be sooner than later considering the looks he's getting now. I do like Reyna, and I do think that he is an intrigal part of the success to this team in the future for a little while longer. 2006 is a little ways away, whether he comes in as a sub for that tourney is still to be determined, but if he's healthy, he's much more of an asset than Earnie Stewart is.... in my opinion.
... I do worry that he might become to the National team what Marco Etcheverry has become to DC United. If the team's future is fast pace attack, and reliance on speed, Reyna might slow it down some... but that's just speculation.
Reyna There was a interview with Claudio Reyna on ussoccer.com. It is pretty telling of what he thinks. One comment is that he feels he is the best US has at the center position and will step aside only when he feels he has someone better. Please remember that for all his placid demeanor he is ruthless and calculating on the field. From what I have seen, he is the best on the team with the ball at his feet. Better than Mathis (who can get disposessed) better than Donavon (who would make the pass back under pressure). Reyna would hold the ball and be able to make the pass anywhere on the field. No other player has that ability. Once I thought Kirovski had this talent but, often his passes are crap. Lets hope he can be here for some of the qualifiers for WC2006.
Re: Reyna I completly agree with you in this assesment. but I really do believe that Bobby Convey will be able to do these same things and provide a better scoring threat as a bonus. He is getting better all the time, and training with Reyna for the next month is gonna really help him. Its not all the time you get to practice with one of the best in the business.
Reyna If I'm the coach, and he's healthy, and the game means anything, he's on the field somewhere. The team plays better with him out there, whether he's in the middle or outside.
I believe Reyna is pushing himself to play in the Gold Cup in order to show Premier Leage teams that he is fit. He says the 'right things' about playing for Sunderland, etc, but it's the EPL he wants to play in, and doesn't want to wait until January. Will this cause him to come back from the ACL injury to soon?
He gets slagged here on BS by the same guys who would have slagged Puskas and Garrincha. Some folks recognize talent, others just like to flail their keyboards with no particular understanding of the content that comes out.
... if Reyna had been born in Spain or Portugal, the same people who slag him for... whatever ridiculous reasons... would be asking 'when, oh when, will the US produce our own American Reynas?' Now, there are a few people who question what position he should play, and that's fair. But others just simply slag away. That's bigsoccer for ya.
My understanding is that for some reason, his injury rehabilitation has taken much longer than usual. I'm wondering whether he's getting to the point where his age is preventing him from returning sooner. DC United's Milton Reyes is expected back in August after tearing his ACL in April. Reyna tore his early last fall if I'm correct. That's a long recovery time. If he doesn't heal correctly, maybe this discussion will resolve itself.
There was some discussion that he had a nosocomial infection (look it up), which held up progress. I can't say I ever saw this confirmed by a reliable source. Whatever the case, he appears to be back and just about ready to get it in gear. Hopefully, Sunderland will have to sell him back to a Premiership club (Blackburn?), as I can't really see Sunderland going right back up.
Okay, and just for fun: can anyone see any of these guys playing Reyna's position in the future? 1. Landon Donovan 2. Taylor Twellman given the opportunity to learn the position and hone their skills at it?
Reyna should be on the field as he is one of our best 11. But where he should play should depend on the opponent and the formation. He should be in the midfield in a 3-5-2 or as the def mid or a defender in a 4-4-2. I'd rather see someone with more speed playing the attacking role in a 4-4-2.
Reyna is the second best player the US has ever produced (behind Ramos) and the best at his position. Even if he only get's back to 3/4 ability, he's still great and we still need him. Our lack of playmaking and creativity from the middle is killing us right now and against good teams, we'll have trouble scoring. We're having trouble now. I say bring him on, he's great.
Reyna to right MID. I like Reyna and believe he has a lot to offer. However, he is rather small, average in the air and has only average pace. Armas and Mastroeni are better tacklers and better at DCM. Donovan and Convey are faster than Reyna and provide a different look in attack. On the wing, Reyna has superior skill compared with Olsen, Klein, and Stewart. He is the best crosser on the team from the right. Lewis has a better left foot and is faster than Reyna. Reyna is also very smart. He can drift middle, hold midfield, and left the right back get forward. Reyna can also beat players one v one from the wing. Bora had plans for Reyna on the wing in the early part of 1994 before he got hurt. I agree with Bora. Bora also played Harkes and Ramos on the outside as well.
This Bora, you see, is a clever man... I agree w/ USA4Life's points, Reyna's abitlity on the wings is something we can't afford to ignore. And his experience, there's no substitute for that. I think alot of it depends on how O'Brien develops as a player in the time to come, if he wants to attack more or just be a holding mid and create from there. Too many variables to consider, but the fact is, if Reyna's healthy, he needs to be on the field when it matters the most.
I don't know. Wings need speed. Speed is the big question for Reyna. Personally I'd rather have him in the middle, flanked by fast guys. Of which we have many. The great thing about Claudio, and why the US is a far more competent side when he's available, is that any player, anywhere on the field, can lob a crappy pass his way, and he'll receive it, protect it, and find someone who can advance it. This is what made our defense look so 'good' in the first half of the hex. They were able to dump it to Claudio and didn't have to worry that it was going to come right back down their throats. Hence, making Jeff Agoos suddenly look like he was all-world. I still think having him in some kind of supporting role, where Donovan or Convey or Mathis or the d. can use him as a kind of 'safety valve' makes a lot of sense. Claudio doesn't have to lead the attack or initiate it to be really valuable. (Like Valderama, only more mobile?) In any case, this will be sorted out by Arena (In Bruce Almighty We Trust, it says on my dollar bill). RevsRule and Todda74 are right when they say Reyna is one of our best ever and one of our best 11. As of now, no one can do what Claudio can do. The question is his health, his speed, and where to exploit his truly amazing skills. Last thing, slightly off subject: A lot of people never noticed the brilliant pass he made to Donovan in the first minute of the Germany game. Pure brilliance. A first-timer that springs Donovan one-on-one against Khan, in a position that truly made Khan a sitting duck. Only the dimwit linesman called offside. The replay clearly showed it was a bad (though close) call. If... if... if... it would have been one of the great passes of the tournament.
What about the assist he would have received had Frings arm not been conviently placed in the path of Berhalter's shot? Lets not forget the ball he sent to Donovan against Korea in the 2nd half that could have locked down a spot in the 2nd round. I believe he also found Donovan against Poland shortly after the 3rd goal only for Donovan's layoff to Moore getting blocked and Mathis' chip on the rebound to barely go over. We need him against teams that will attempt to stifle our counter (and they will learn eventually). Its no coincidence that he was so effective against a German team that was really sitting back in the second half against us.
Yep, he's been unfortunate on the finishing end. Wasn't there beauful pass to Wolff in qualifying-- I think Wolff got off a chip or a weak shot and the goalie cleared it off the line. People who were there swear that it was in. But my favorite is the pass to Donovan I wrote about above, if for no other reason that the ABC announcers didn't even notice the play, they were too busy reading the line-up cards. Can you imagine if we had scored in the first minute?
Costa Rica. Reyna has taken 8 montns (Nov. 10th, I think was the day...) to recover from an ACL. Not the quickest, but not out of a "normal" range. He's had some calf problems, apparently.
Who can forget his audacioius one time full volley attempt from midfield that missed the goal by a mere foot or two against Germany. Olli Kahn came out of his box, headed the ball a mile to midfield and Reyna stepped up and hit a one-time side volley 60 plus yards that barely missed. True genius!
Notice to Reyna lovers: The US can compete at a high level without him. The team will look different, and have different strengths and weaknesses, but is fully capable of getting the job done without him on the field. The days when all our hopes were in the hands of a Reyna or a Ramos having to control the midfield are over. Notice to Reyna haters: He will be on the field somewhere healthy. He is a class player and the US team will be fortunate to have him healthy and available and on the field. Notice to those in the middle: Right on!