USMNT’s future amid Claudio Reyna bullying report

The findings of the U.S. Soccer Federation’s investigation into the domestic violence incident involving former U.S. men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter and his wife Rosalind — as well as the behavior of Claudio and Danielle Reyna as it related to the World Cup playing time of their son, Gio Reyna — were released on Monday.

The investigation and its report, conducted by an independent law firm, corroborated much of the previous reporting done by ESPN and elsewhere in terms of what generally transpired between the Reynas and the Berhalters. But it also added additional details demonstrating the lengths to which the Reynas went in an effort to influence how decision-makers at U.S. Soccer should treat their son, including allegations of “bullying,” and sheds new light on the federation’s insular culture.

Here’s a deeper look at how this saga played out, what the investigation found and what it means for those involved.

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How did U.S. Soccer, Berhalter and the Reynas reach a point where an investigation was necessary?

This Shakespearean tale is about a lot of things — friendships ruined, a family’s ambitions for their son, an admitted incident of domestic violence — but it came apart due to the most basic of soccer aspects: playing time, or a lack thereof.

It started with U.S. national team midfielder Gio Reyna enduring an injury-plagued 2021-22 season and Gregg Berhalter’s concerns about Reyna’s fitness, which led the coach to reduce him to a substitute’s role for the World Cup. Reyna sulked as a result, coasting through practices, so much so that Berhalter nearly sent him home until an intervention.

While there was considerable debate over Reyna’s role among fans and pundits, the story was nearly out of oxygen until Berhalter revealed the incident during a speaking engagement at a leadership conference less than two weeks after the U.S. was knocked out of the…