It has taken some time, but U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter said that his relationship with Gio Reyna is in a much better place than it once was.
The pair were at the center of one of the biggest scandals in American soccer history, which came to life in the aftermath of the 2022 World Cup.
After Berhalter played Reyna sparingly at the tournament, Reyna’s parents Claudio and Danielle attempted to get the coach fired by revealing the details of a 1992 domestic violence incident between Berhalter and his now-wife Rosalind.
The attempt was unsuccessful, as Berhalter was ultimately re-hired as USMNT head coach last summer.
Berhalter and Reyna went through a period of not speaking, with the coach admitting last fall that the relationship would take some time to rebuild after he had finally reconnected with the Dortmund attacker.
Several months later, Reyna and Berhalter have been involved in a number of national team camps together, with Reyna again becoming an integral player for the USMNT.
Speaking to the Washington Post after including Reyna on his roster for pre-Copa América friendlies, Berhalter said that things were in a much better place between himself and the 21-year-old.
“We both used this time productively, to start to rebuild, to repair the relationship where we gain trust with each other again,” Berhalter said. “It did take time, but the relationship is in a much better spot.”
The U.S. will face Colombia on June 8 at Commanders Field (formerly FedEx Field) in the Washington, D.C. area, before taking on Brazil on June 12 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
After the match against Brazil, Berhalter will name his final 26-player roster for the Copa América, which kicks off on June 23 against Bolivia.
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