CHESTER, Penn. – It’s been almost seven months since Gio Reyna was last with the U.S. men’s national team. What are the attacking midfielder’s teammates saying about how he has looked?
“I feel like he’s more in-tune and more focused on the field than I’ve seen in the past, which is a great thing,” defender Tim Ream told the throng of reporters at the USMNT’s training session on a brisk fall Friday outside of Philadelphia.
It’s fútbol weather in the Philly area ahead of the USMNT’s game on Saturday (Getty Images)
Reyna has spent much of the past two European seasons either injured or on the bench. It’s now two years removed from his standout performance in the 2024 Concacaf Nations League final, when his second-half goal sealed the Americans’ third consecutive title in that event.
The 22-year-old one-time prodigy is now working his way into the fold to be considered for manager Mauricio Pochettino’s roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Reyna will get a chance to prove that in Saturday’s friendly against Paraguay, followed by Tuesday’s match against Uruguay in what should be a balmier setting in Tampa.
“I’m looking forward to playing with Gio,” U.S. striker Folarin Balogun said, who scored his first international goal on an assist by Reyna in the 2023 Nations League final win over Canada.
“I think me and him have a great connection, and he’s a sort of player as a striker, you want someone like him providing creativity behind you. … As he has shown in training already, [Reyna can] make a good impact and help us in both games.”
Reyna’s inclusion on Pochettino’s November roster last week raised eyebrows, given that the silky attacking midfielder has yet to start a game for Borussia Mönchengladbach since signing with the German Bundesliga club in August.
All of Reyna’s 142 minutes played have come in a series of short appearances as a substitute. Still, Ream has noticed a difference in Reyna this week.
“Whether it was injury or other things that were going on, I think his focus is so much greater now,” Ream noted.
Ream didn’t elaborate on the “other things” he was alluding to. But it hasn’t gone unnoticed that Pochettino named both Reyna and Sebastian Berhalter, son of former USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, to this current squad. The elder Berhalter and Reyna’s parents, former U.S. national teamers Claudio and Danielle, were embroiled in a well-documented public spat following the 2022 World Cup.
Not surprisingly, Ream was asked if the presence of both players had been an “issue” behind the scenes.
“I actually completely forgot about it until like, the third or fourth day of camp,” Ream said. “And I was like, oh, wait a minute. But no, it’s not really been discussed amongst the team. Their relationship has looked pretty normal to me and to everybody else.
“What happened, happened,” Ream added. “We’ve all kind of moved on from it, and they have as well. And I think that’s a good thing. Everyone’s trying to make this team. Everybody’s trying to be a part of a home World Cup … it’s good to see that their focus is here and now. And hopefully both of those guys can impress over the next couple months.”
Pochettino also addressed if there would be any potential tension between the younger Reyna and Berhalter.
“For me it’s not important, because in front of everything is the national team. And we believe that Sebastian and Gio are important for us. And I think these two guys are really intelligent and very clever. For sure, they are mature enough to deal with that.
“But I wasn’t involved. I don’t know. I hear, but I cannot make a decision from the past. It was a completely different environment. And what I saw from day one was good synergy, good teammates. I see them interact, and the communication is fantastic in between them both, in the way that they say hello and hug. I think that is not a problem.”
Right-back Sergiño Dest said Reyna has looked sharp on the practice fields through the first four sessions this week.
“I’m happy that he’s back,” Dest said. “I feel like I always had a great chemistry with him, and he’s doing well. So I hope he stays that way, stays physically healthy. … I hope he stays with the team.”
Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.
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