Just knowing the scoreline, even a person that didn’t see the game could probably divine some of the ratings here. Christian Pulisic was dominant from kickoff, Weston McKennie conjured up two goals, and Alex Zendejas marked his becoming cap-tied to the team with a goal. If you’re a USMNT fan, it was a fun Friday night.
With that in mind, our ratings for a game that was never particularly close:
After being told by Gregg Berhalter that he wouldn’t have a major role in Qatar, Reyna, by his own admission, let his “emotions get the best of me and affect my training and behavior for a few days.”
Berhalter nearly sent Reyna home before the player apologized to his teammates. And that was it. Until it wasn’t.
A few months later, the first-choice roster for the USMNT is back together ahead of CONCACAF Nations League matches against Grenada and El Salvador.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Ream said that Reyna’s attitude has been exemplary so far and the USMNT is looking to move on from the controversy.
“The biggest thing is making sure that everybody knows we’re here for a reason and what’s happened with Gio in the past is in the past and what happened at the World Cup happened at the World Cup and we moved on from that as players,” Ream said.
“I think the biggest thing for us as a leadership and all the guys in camp is to see that he’s working hard, training hard, that he’s wanting to be here and up to this point, it’s been nothing but positive,” Ream added. “Having conversations with different guys, everybody knows what he can bring to the table, everybody knows how talented he is.
“And to see him come in here with that attitude and the work rate and the desire to be a part of the group and just get back on level terms with everyone without having to overly address it has been a big positive for all the guys to see.”
Ream said that he’d also spoken to Reyna individually.
“I’ve had individual conversations with him. Those will stay between him and I because I think that’s important, to have that kind of line of communication and trust between players, between teammates, between groups,” Ream said. “What he’s feeling, what he’s seeing, what his worries may be will stay between him and I, because I think that’s important to allow him to move past everything that’s happened.
“And I think it’s important for all of us to be able to move past that and work together as a good team.”
U.S. Soccer will have to navigate some real thorny issues if it brings the coach back
Last week couldn’t have gone much better for Gregg Berhalter.
The now-former-and-maybe-future U.S. men’s national team head coach got quite the one-two punch of good news: First U.S. Soccer’s independent investigation found that Berhalter and his wife Rosalind were forthcoming about the details of a 1992 domestic violence incident, and there was no reason to believe any further instances had occurred.
U.S. Soccer concluded that Berhalter “remains a candidate to serve as head coach of the men’s national team.”
But there can be a big gulf between “remains a candidate” and “actually has a shot.” That gap, though, was significantly shortened after an interview Christian Pulisic gave to ESPN.
After calling the affair involving Claudio and Danielle Reyna “childish,” Pulisic was asked if he’d be comfortable with Berhalter getting his old job back.
“Yeah, no doubt, no doubt about it,” he said. “I think the strides that we’ve taken in recent years with him in charge, have been evident. I think it’s quite clear.”
Being cleared by an investigation is one thing, but seeing your normally reticent star give such a clear and public backing will give U.S. Soccer something to chew on.
But there are still quite a few steps before Berhalter gets his old job back. First and foremost, the person who will hire the new (or old) USMNT coach isn’t even in place yet.
U.S. Soccer has said interviews for its sporting director position are underway, with the hope that Earnie Stewart’s replacement is in place before the World Cup kicks off in July.
That would put U.S. Soccer right on its previously stated timeline of hiring a new USMNT coach by summer’s end. That is roughly as far from now as the USMNT’s pre-World Cup friendlies against Japan and Saudi Arabia. In other words: a while!
And much could happen in that span of time, most plausibly Berhalter being offered a different job.
Berhalter’s resume could make him intriguing to clubs in Europe: a lengthy playing career in the Netherlands and Germany as well as experience coaching in Europe with Hammarby. He would also, of course, be an appealing candidate for an ambitious MLS club.
Assuming Berhalter isn’t spoken for by the time U.S. Soccer actually gets around to choosing a coach, there are still potential pitfalls to a theoretical reappointment.
Beasley, of course, isn’t in that locker room anymore, but he may talk to people that are. In any case, U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said this weekend that USMNT players will be consulted on the hire. One wonders if Gio Reyna would be one of them.
The second issue is even more substantial, and will demand serious introspection from all parties. Yes, it’s about that 1992 incident.
U.S. Soccer’s independent investigation “cleared” Berhalter as much as it could have, but it’s hard to really declare victory when the underlying issue involves a confirmed case of domestic violence.
Should Berhalter emerge as a serious candidate by the summer, U.S. Soccer will have to ask itself an extremely thorny question: Does it want the leader of its national team on the biggest stage possible, a home World Cup, to have anything but a spotless record?
Yes, it was a drunken argument between teenagers, and Berhalter’s behavior since that moment appears to have been exemplary. But: it happened.
Excluding Berhalter on the basis of that moment feels unsettling, in part because it would give Claudio and Danielle Reyna what they wanted. But it would be pretty much the definition of Pyrrhic victory.
Berhalter certainly has options now. But, despite his very good week, there is a long way before coaching the USMNT again is one of them.
Christian Pulisic has spoken out about the controversy that has embroiled the U.S. men’s national team since the World Cup, expressing his frustration with the “childish” behavior of the Reyna family.
U.S. Soccer released the results of an independent investigation this week, which detailed years of meddling by Danielle and Claudio Reyna on behalf of their son Gio. The report included details of the Reynas’ now-infamous revelation of a 1992 domestic violence incident involving Gregg Berhalter to U.S. Soccer officials.
The investigation also revealed that Berhalter, now out of contract, was forthcoming about the 1992 incident, which led U.S. Soccer to declare that he is still a candidate for another term at the helm of the USMNT.
Pulisic, often guarded with the media, showed his irritation with the entire series of events while also offering his backing to Berhalter.
“I’m not here to appoint the next manager — it’s not my job — and whoever it is I’m going to play and give it 100%,” Pulisic told ESPN in an interview.
“Everything that happened with Gregg, first of all, has been handled in an extremely childish manner. I think we’ve seen what’s been going on. I think it’s childish, it’s youth soccer, people complaining about playing time. I don’t want to go too far into that, but I think Gregg has been extremely unfortunate to get into the position he is in now.”
Pulisic was obviously referring to Danielle and Claudio Reyna when using the term “childish” but was he talking about Gio Reyna too? That isn’t as clear, but it’s worth remembering that the Dortmund star’s complaints over his reduced role at the World Cup precipitated much of the subsequent imbroglio.
The Chelsea winger nearly went as far as endorsing Berhalter for another tenure at the helm of the USMNT, saying he is hopeful the team can build off the positives from the 2022 World Cup.
“Do I feel like we should just wait and wait? I don’t think it’s necessary, because we are not in a phase like we were after not qualifying [for the 2018 World Cup] where we needed a complete rebuild,” Pulisic said.
“We don’t need a bunch of new guys coming in. We have a strong core in my opinion — people have seen that and we need to carry on with that,” he added. “It’s a tough one for me because we should continue that as soon as we can and build off this World Cup, which I think had a lot of positives in it. We want to get going with that as soon as we can.”
Amid all the turmoil, Reyna is back in the USMNT fold
Amid all the turmoil surrounding him away from the field, Gio Reyna will be joining up with the U.S. men’s national team later this month.
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder is on interim coach Anthony Hudson’s roster for the USMNT’s upcoming CONCACAF Nations League group matches against Grenada and El Salvador.
The call-up comes just two days after U.S. Soccer announced the findings of an investigation into an ugly series of events involving former USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, his wife Rosalind, and Reyna’s parents Claudio and Danielle.
While expected — controversies aside, Reyna is clearly one of the most talented players in the entire USMNT pool — the call-up is still some rare good news for the 20-year-old. After being stuck on the bench for three straight games at club level, Reyna came on early in Dortmund’s Champions League clash with Chelsea, but was criticized in the German press for his performance.
The following weekend, even with three other attacking midfield options unavailable due to injury or illness, manager Edin Terzić started Donyell Malen and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens in their Revierderby battle with Schalke. Reyna ended up playing only the final 11 minutes of a 2-2 draw.
Explaining Reyna’s inclusion, Hudson told U.S. Soccer’s website: “As I’ve said before, the situation during the World Cup was handled as a group, there was a positive response from the player, and we all moved forward.
“Clearly it became a bit more complex in the months since the World Cup, but as far as we’re concerned Gio is a part of our program. He’s a good guy and a top talent and he is evaluated like any other player. We made the roster decisions based on what gives the team the best opportunity to win these games, and we brought him in because we think he can help us do that.”
Speaking to reporters after the roster came out, Hudson added that within the USMNT staff, they felt the off-field issues were “separate” from Reyna. “He’s determined to come back in and do well and help the team,” said Hudson.
Full USMNT back together
Reyna wasn’t called in for the USMNT’s January camp, but it had nothing to do with off-field scandal or his battle for playing time at Dortmund. Rather, that camp fell outside of the FIFA window, so he (like the rest of the team’s European-based contingent) wasn’t available to participate.
The CONCACAF Nations League, however, is built into FIFA’s competition calendar, obliging clubs to release players. As such, Reyna will join up with the group that faces a March 24 match against Grenada in St. George’s, as well as March 27’s clash with El Salvador in Orlando.
While the USMNT will be heavily favored in both games, a loss at Exploria Stadium would eliminate them from June’s Nations League finals. A loss at Grenada would also position El Salvador to win Group D with a draw in Florida, as the three-team round robin format leaves little margin for error.
The ex-USMNT boss said he wouldn’t necessarily return to his old job if it were offered
Gregg Berhalter is happy with the results of U.S. Soccer’s recently concluded independent investigation, saying he now has options as he looks to continue his coaching career.
U.S. Soccer released the results of the long-awaited investigation on Monday, which concluded that Berhalter and his wife Rosalind were forthcoming about the details of a 1992 domestic violence incident, and that there was no reason to believe any further incidents had taken place.
The investigation, conducted by Alston & Bird, did not offer such a positive conclusion for Danielle and Claudio Reyna, saying the couple had meddled in U.S. Soccer affairs for years, including their decision to disclose the 1992 incident to federation leadership as retaliation for Berhalter’s treatment of their son Gio.
Berhalter said it hasn’t been easy navigating the situation, which has seen a longtime friendship between the two couples dissolve instantly.
“I would just say it’s a sad situation,” Berhalter told The Telegraph. “We are talking about people you have known for over three decades. It’s sad and it’s in some way traumatic. But it’s something you have to deal with.”
On the subject of his coaching future, the 49-year-old was much more optimistic.
Berhalter’s contract as U.S. men’s national team coach expired at the end of 2022. Anthony Hudson is currently leading the team on an interim basis with U.S. Soccer first seeking to hire a sporting director, and then lock down a USMNT coach.
Following the release of the investigation, U.S. Soccer said that Berhalter remained a candidate for the job.
But Berhalter has admitted he is looking into all of his options, even hinting he wouldn’t necessarily accept an offer to return to his old role if it were presented.
“I guess what it [the USSF report] does is it means there are options,” Berhalter said. “That I would still be in consideration — nothing is going to exclude me from being part of that process and there are other processes that are happening also.
“After the work that has been done, that is what is right. Whether it is offered or not — or I take it or not — that’s a completely different story. To not be part of the process would be difficult. Because of the achievements of the team and how much the team has grown over the last four years.”
Some ugly behavior by Claudio and Danielle Reyna is documented in the independent report
U.S. Soccer has concluded an independent investigation into the dramatic affair involving Gregg Berhalter, his wife and the couple’s former close friends Claudio and Danielle Reyna.
The investigation, conducted by Alston & Bird, has concluded that Berhalter and his wife Rosalind were forthcoming about the details of a 1992 incident of domestic violence, and that the firm had no reason to believe any further incidents had taken place between the couple.
The couple eventually reconciled, married and had four children. They are still together today.
Of Berhalter, whose contract as U.S. men’s national team head coach expired at the end of 2022, U.S. Soccer said: “Given the investigators’ conclusion that there is no legal impediment to employing him, Gregg Berhalter remains a candidate to serve as head coach of the men’s national team.”
On the other hand, the report took a much dimmer view of the Reynas, saying the couple did not cooperate with the investigation and have been actively meddling into U.S. Soccer and the U.S. men’s national team for years — mostly looking to benefit their son Gio Reyna.
The Berhalter-Reyna affair exploded into public view in January, when Danielle Reyna admitted she had leaked information about the 1992 domestic violence incident to U.S. Soccer as retaliation for Berhalter not playing her son more at the World Cup, and then revealing details of the player’s poor attitude in Qatar that nearly led to him being sent home.
Amid the extremely public and messy affair, U.S. Soccer brought in Alston & Bird to conduct an independent investigation into the domestic violence incident, as well as any possible wrongdoing by the Reynas.
The investigation noted it did not consider the Reynas’ behavior to be blackmail, nor did it violate U.S. Soccer policies.
But the results were still stunning, painting an ugly picture of one of the most prominent families in American soccer history. Here are several incidents involving the Reynas documented within the report.
The U.S. men’s national team is still without a full-time head coach, but it has taken a step in turning the page on (potentially former) head coach Gregg Berhalter. It’s just not great news for one of the program’s brightest talents either.
Back in January, the U.S. Soccer Federation was sent into disarray by a statement from Berhalter, who claimed he was being blackmailed over an alleged domestic violence incident from 1992 that involved his now-wife Rosalind. Berhalter admitted to kicking Rosalind when the two were 18 years old, but the incident was never reported to authorities. It turned out that the Reyna family — the parents of Borussia Dortmund forward Gio Reyna — brought the accusation to the federation’s attention after they were upset by Berhalter’s comments at a leadership conference.
As a result, the USSF launched an independent investigation into both the Berhalter incident and the Reyna “blackmail.” Those findings were released on Monday, and, well, it was not a good look for the Reyna family.
If this was a turning point, things appear to have taken a turn for the worse.
How different could Gio Reyna and Dortmund’s season have turned out had last week gone better?
We won’t know the answer to that for a few weeks, but Dortmund’s past two matches did have the feeling of a turning point.
If so, things appear to have taken a turn for the worse.
On Tuesday, Dortmund was bounced from the Champions League by a Chelsea side coming into their match in relegation form. That was followed by a damaging draw in the derby against Schalke — a team that actually is in a relegation battle.
Reyna got a rare chance to impress against Chelsea and though views on his performance are mixed, the one person whose opinion actually matters doesn’t seem to have rated him highly.
Let’s kick off the Five with a look at a disheartening week for Reyna and his club.
The USMNT midfielder found himself in an unfamiliar place this weekend: the bench
Yunus Musah’s name has been in the news quite a bit this season and more often than not, it’s been about his next destination.
Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Inter, among others, have been strongly linked with the Valencia midfielder, who seems destined to leave the Liga club this summer.
Lost among the hype and justified excitement over Musah’s potential is how he is actually playing with Valencia this season. And the answer appears to be: OK, not great!
It’s worth remembering, of course, that Musah is only 20 and in his first season as an every-game starter in La Liga. Interested teams aren’t just after the player he is, but the player he could one day become.
But right now, Musah and his club are going through a rough patch. The midfielder’s up-and-down campaign leads off the Five this week.
