Giovanni Reyna Reflects On 2022 World Cuo, Aims for 2026 USMNT Return
Giovanni Reyna said he would handle the controversial 2022 World Cup situation with then-U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter differently but refuses to accept full blame for the incident that overshadowed his career, speaking to The Associated Press at Borussia Mönchengladbach last week.
The 22-year-old attacking midfielder is focused on convincing current U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino he deserves a spot on the 2026 World Cup roster. Reyna has played only once for the national team since the 2024 Copa América.
Reyna played just twice off the bench in Qatar after Berhalter said an unnamed player, later identified as Reyna, was nearly sent home for lack of effort in training. His parents, both former national team players, contacted U.S. Soccer about a decades-old domestic violence allegation involving Berhalter.
\"Maybe in certain ways, but 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,\" Reyna told the AP. He said the tensions stemmed from frustration over limited playing time.
Reyna has suffered at least eight distinct injuries over the past five years, mostly soft tissue and muscle problems. He last played 90 minutes in a league game in March 2022.
The midfielder has appeared in only four of Mönchengladbach\'s eight Bundesliga matches this season. His previous three years at Borussia Dortmund featured limited minutes, a loan to Nottingham Forest, and extensive bench time.
\"I think Pochettino was very clear with saying, \'You need to play, perform and then if you do that then you have a good chance to come in again,\'\" Reyna said. \"It\'s all on me now.\"
With only four planned U.S. friendlies before the team\'s pre-World Cup camp, Reyna\'s main opportunity to impress is with Mönchengladbach. He described his move to the German club as a fresh start alongside U.S. teammate Joe Scally.
\"I would love to look back in the future and say that it was a pivotal year, few years here,\" Reyna said. \"But talking is not really the way. You have to turn the talking into action.\"
Via ESPN