Gio Reyna is again making an enormous influence for his membership crew, Borussia Dortmund of the German Bundesliga, even whereas he stays a controversial determine throughout the USMNT.
Reyna has scored game-winning objectives in back-to-back matches for the storied German facet after coming in as a late substitution each occasions. His strike within the 78th minute Sunday from close to the highest of the penalty field got here in his first sport for the reason that 2022 World Cup, and proved the distinction in Dortmund’s 4-3 win over FC Augsburg.
Reyna then scored one other game-winner off a Sébastien Haller header throughout stoppage time of Dortmund’s match in opposition to FSV Mainz 05 on Wednesday, celebrating wildly along with his teammates afterward.
Reyna is a central determine within the present controversy surrounding the USMNT and Gregg Berhalter, who coached the crew in that World Cup. Despite being extensively thought to be one of the vital proficient gamers on the United States roster, Reyna noticed restricted time on the pitch in Qatar, solely showing instead within the two of the crew’s 4 video games — its scoreless group stage draw in opposition to England and its 3-1 loss to the Netherlands within the opening spherical of the knockout stage.
Reports later emerged that Reyna’s taking part in time was on account of an absence of focus he was exhibiting in USMNT coaching periods and there was even a crew vote over whether or not to ship the 20-year-old residence through the World Cup.
Berhalter himself alluded to the incident in detail throughout feedback he made to a management convention quickly after the USMNT was eradicated. The feedback had been purported to be off-the-record and Berhalter by no means named the participant he was discussing, but it surely rapidly grew to become obvious after the feedback leaked that they had been about Reyna.
Alexi DOUBLES DOWN on Gregg Berhalter’s USMNT state of affairs
Alexi Lalas reacts to the fan response on his stance towards the Gregg Berhalter/Claudio Reyna state of affairs and explains why he nonetheless holds that stance.
On Jan. 3, Berhalter posted a prolonged assertion to Twitter admitting that he had kicked his now-wife Rosalind outside a bar in 1991 when the 2 had been 18-year-olds that had simply begun courting. In the assertion, Gregg Berhalter mentioned he went public with the incident in response to a “blackmail attempt.”
The following day, Gio’s mom Danielle Reyna took accountability for alerting the U.S. Soccer Federation about the incident and stories emerged that Gio’s father Claudio Reyna — a former USMNT captain and teammate of Berhalter, USSF sporting director Earnie Stewart and now-former USMNT general manager Brian McBride — had threatened to disclose damaging details about Berhalter through the World Cup. The Berhalters and Reynas had been longtime household pals, and Rosalind Berhalter and Danielle Reyna had been school roommates on the time of the incident between Rosalind and Gregg.
Did Gio Reyna simply PROVE Gregg Berhalter MISHANDLED him?
Alexi Lalas and David Mosse debate whether or not Gregg Berhalter mishandled the state of affairs with Gio Reyna on the 2022 World Cup.
The USSF has opened an investigation into all the affair. Gregg Berhalter is at present away from the crew after his contract expired on the finish of 2022, with assistant coach Anthony Hudson taking up the interim head job for the team’s January camp that features friendlies Wednesday vs. Serbia and Saturday vs. Colombia. Berhalter remains a candidate to remain on as USMNT head coach pending the outcomes of the investigation, although his probabilities of staying have reportedly diminished in current weeks.
Gio Reyna has not spoken publicly about his mother and father’ actions, however after scoring his purpose Wednesday, his celebration appeared to allude to the controversy as he made a speaking gesture along with his hand then plugged each of his ears. Several of his Dortmund teammates joined within the celebration.
Reyna will not be with the USMNT for its January camp, however neither are a number of different high gamers from the crew’s 2022 World Cup roster as they’re in the midst of their European membership seasons. That record contains the at present injured Christian Pulisic of Chelsea, Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson of Leeds United and Weston McKennie of Juventus.
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