In only 45 minutes against Canada, Gio Reyna was able to show both why he’s one of the most talented members of the United States men’s national team, as well as someone who the team has to exercise caution with. As the USMNT beat Canada 2-0, Reyna not only assisted the team’s first goal from a corner kick in over a year, but he also displayed excellent ball control, working out of tight spaces to feed Folarin Balogun for an insurance goal to up the pressure on Canada. Forty-five minutes, two assists, and a man of the match performance, isn’t bad for a player that’s had trouble getting on the field for the USMNT over the last year.
Reyna played in midfield as one of two eights, or attacking, two-way midfielders. B.J. Callaghan was able to utilize Reyna in a different position for the national team due to only Yunus Musah being available from the traditional midfield that includes Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams. Playing as a dual box to box midfielder with Brenden Aaronson, Reyna shined in front of Musah but also showed why his performances can be so fleeting for club and country.
Withdrawn at halftime after picking up an injury, Reyna was even limping when the team celebrated their trophy continuing what has been a tough year for him. With the return of Gregg Berhalter on the horizon, performances like the one against Canada are what Reyna will need to do in order to secure a place in the lineup, but Berhalter will have to level set expectations with Reya as well, given their complicated history after the way he was treated by Gio Reyna’s parents, the legendary Claudio and Danielle Reyna. The whole thing was a mess but the younger Reyna is simply too good not to figure out a way to move past it.
Knowing Reyna’s talent, his parents weren’t satisfied with the amount of playing time that Gio received at the World Cup, or the fact that Berhalter had a conversation with the midfielder that he…
