Reyna had a chance to build bridges with U.S. teammates and staff, but declined 'to take all the blame' for 2022 antics
Gio Reyna just had to speak.
The smart move, in the Reyna cinematic universe – one of opinions, ego, controversy yet undeniable talent – is generally to keep quiet. In fact, given Reyna's recent record of injury, underperformance and selected absence, it would be rather prudent of the American to keep his head down, play soccer and not say anything controversial.
Interviews should be tame and full of platitudes. Reyna's brand, at this point in his career, should be that of the guy who wants another chance, who knows that he is good enough to deserve one.
He should take responsibility for his well-documented 2022 World Cup antics. Ultimately, Reyna should disappoint the hungry Twitter merchants, just be a stream of agreeable cliches and let his game do the talking.
So much for that. Reyna, in a quite remarkable display of poor PR, took the opposite approach earlier this week. His interview with the Associated Press was pretty short, all said. But he did offer a glorious sound bite. When asked to explain the temper tantrum at the 2022 World Cup and subsequent benching, Reyna distanced himself from responsibility.
"I'm not just going to sort of sit here and take all the blame for something that was made out to be completely my fault, which I believe it wasn't, and also my family's, too," he said.
Well done, Gio. There are hundreds of better replies. Most of them would probably start with some version of "I'm sorry." Or at least don't take the bait, pass on the answer. But once again, he pinned the blame elsewhere. This was a chance to close a chapter of sorts, to look towards the future, for a great talent of U.S. soccer to rebuild his image.
Instead, Reyna only reinforced the public perception – fair or not – that this is a character who lacks the maturity and accountability. Not the spot to be in with the 2026 World Cup less than eight months away.
GettyVery few words that say a lot
This may seem like an awful lot of extrapolation from very few words. And that's a fair point. After all, this is American soccer, a world often constructed on tension and insecurity, with a need to make the most out of very little. There have been times – especially in recent memory – in which many have read into things too much (just ask Christian Pulisic what he was up to last summer).
But Reyna isa special case. To understand that quote, it is worth examining Reyna, the character. It isn't particularly outlandish to suggest that the attacking midfielder is the most naturally gifted player in the pool at the moment. He was thrust into the Borussia Dortmund side at a young age, and after a series of impressive performances, held in high regard.
It helped, of course, that he was the son of Claudio, a U.S. legend in his own right. But Gio was . And for a while, for both club and country, he proved it.
However, 2022, was a strange year. He was performing effectively for Dortmund, but his relationship with then-U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter was difficult. At the time, with no context, it was a puzzling thing. Reyna was an immense talent. But Berhalter largely froze him out at the 2022 World Cup, allowing the Dortmund player just two appearances, both of which came off the bench.
It was later revealed that Reyna was nearly sent home from camp due to fractious relationships with his teammates and a poor attitude in training. Put simply: Reyna had all the talent in the world. But he rather got in his own way. And Berhalter knew it.
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And after the World Cup, as has been well chronicled, things got even worse. The Reyna and Berhalter families fell out publicly and in quite unhealthy terms. There were allegations and denials and decisions about the coach's standing with US Soccer.
The bad blood stemmed from Berhalter's handling of Reyna at the 2022 World Cup, Reyna's response – for which he was nearly sent home – Berhalter's role in revealing the incident and the subsequent disclosure of a decades-old domestic violence allegation to US Soccer by Reyna's mother, Danielle. Berhalter was rehired by U.S. Soccer following an investigation.
After the World Cup, Berhalter – speaking at what was presumed to be an off-the-record leadership summit – was later quoted as saying, “We had a player that was clearly not meeting expectations on and off the field. One of 26 players, so it stood out. As a staff, we sat together for hours deliberating what we were going to do with this player…
"We were ready to book a plane ticket home, that's how extreme it was. And what it came down to was, we're going to have one more conversation with him, and part of the conversation was how we're going to behave from here out. There aren't going to be any more infractions."
The day after Berhalter's comments went public, Reyna posted a message on social media calling the reports of nearly being sent home from the World Cup "highly fictionalized," adding he was disappointed that details regarding his participation in Qatar were not kept "in house."
Three years on, Reyna had the chance to set the record straight. He was given the chance to perhaps outline why he was almost removed from the camp.
Getty ImagesA misguided interview
His comments to AP have made the rounds on social media, and don't read kindly for Reyna's image.
"At the end of the day, I was just upset that, you know, I wasn’t really playing," he said. "I was playing at Dortmund. I thought that I wanted to play at the World Cup and ultimately in the end, I didn’t do that, and that’s really what it stemmed from. I guess the frustration and the disappointment was just wanting to play and help my country."
Lack of apology notwithstanding, there isn't much accountability, either. Berhalter was a limited coach, but he was by all accounts a vibes guy who created a strong culture. Reyna's actions tainted the harmony. His words, published on this week, could have at least acknowledged that he was part of the problem.
And even if he didn't do that, Reyna must, deep down, know that he has bridges to build with people inside US Soccer.
Sure, he has been injured, absent, and unavailable for selection. But almost getting kicked out of a World Cup camp takes some flagrant effort. And yes, this is soccer, where everyone reads everything. Reyna, we are safe to assume, still has teammates to deal with.
This was as much about symbolism as sincerity. Even if Reyna didn't mean it, he could have, at least, offered a casual "my bad."
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Getty Images SportMauricio Pochettino, the culture guy
When the U.S. hired Mauricio Pochettino last fall, they thought they were getting a masterful tactician with a certain aura – a man manager, yes, but mostly a head coach who would earn the respect of his players on resume alone. Pochettino isn't a soccer nerd. But he wasn't supposed to be hardline, authoritarian, Jose Mourinho-lite.
And while he hasn't followed "the special one" with quite the same vigor, Pochettino has proved to be far more of a culture guy than many might have expected.
The tactics here are what they are – and may yet develop. But Pochettino's calling card with the USMNT, so far, can best be summed up by a lengthy soliloquy given after being peppered with questions about Pulisic's absence from the Gold Cup squad. It was a wonderful thing, Shakespearean, even.
But the quote that has stuck is a simple: "I am the head coach. I am not a mannequin.” And that sums it up nicely. You will not walk all over him. You won't really question him, either. He doesn't like excuses, and he certainly doesn't feel the need to offer explanations.
It is in that light, then, that Reyna's comments look even more misguided. He has pointed out repeatedly that he wants to be on the World Cup roster next June. He has even been selected by Pochettino before (managing little more than a forgettable cameo in a Nations League third place match dead rubber in March).
But his recent comments suggest he just doesn't understand the vibe of the new manager. Of course, Pochettino wasn't head coach three years ago. The news may well have passed him by (he was probably more focused on his beloved Argentina than the state of a U.S. team that got knocked out in the last 16).
But in the here and now, Reyna – already struggling for playing time at the club level in Germany – did himself no favors with the new coach.