Almost four years have passed since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and the United States men’s national team is gearing up to face Belgium in one of their final friendlies before Mauricio Pochettino announces the World Cup roster for 2026. This may not be the final chance to make an impression, but the team understands the gravity of the situation and the weight on their shoulders.
Attacking midfielder Gio Reyna is embracing that pressure. Despite only playing 26 minutes for Borussia Monchengladbach, he has been called into the squad after scoring during the November international break. Reyna made the 2022 World Cup squad but had to settle for coming off the bench under then-manager Gregg Berhalter and has been unable to secure regular playing time for his clubs since. The hope was that leaving Borussia Dortmund might solve that problem, but he remains in that scenario, pushing for club minutes with Borussia Monchengladbach.
That said, Reyna isn’t the same person he was a World Cup cycle ago. He’s 23 now, married, and has a different perspective as he grows both as a soccer player and a man. He understands and acknowledges where he stands with the national team, but he’s also ready to repay the faith Pochettino has shown in him by performing.
“It’s always easier when you’re playing week in and week out,” Reyna said. “My case is not like that. I’m fortunate and always honored to be back in camp with the coach’s trust, but if the opportunity comes up, I still feel very prepared to make an impact this camp on the field.”
When the roster was named, and Pochettino spoke about Reyna’s inclusion, it was clear that the Gladbach man would get a chance to see the pitch in these friendlies against Belgium and Portugal as long as he performs in training.
“It’s to see if he is affected by that, and he is capable of performing with us again,” Pochettino said. “I think we really know that he is a very special, talented player, and I think giving him the possibility, even if he is not playing much with his club, can be very useful for us. That is our mindset in the way that we made the decision to bring Gio to this camp.”
When you talk to players in camp about Reyna, or even look around, you can see what he means to the squad and how he fits in with them. While it’s best for players to be playing regular club minutes, these are things that can’t be discounted. The USMNT has been consistently called a brotherhood since their time under Berhalter, and while that isn’t a scenario where a player should get too comfortable, even Reyna had to earn his place when he returned from injury under Pochettino.
“Mauricio and I have a great relationship, and not just me, but he keeps the vibes and energy in this group, and this camp amazing. It’s always an honor to keep it simple and come back understanding sort of the club situation, and I guess you could say it was one of his more difficult decisions, or I guess controversial decisions to maybe bring me in, and I can’t appreciate it enough,” Reyna said.
“Love this team, love this staff, love this group of people just always so honored to be here, and of course, at the same time I feel prepared regardless of minutes at clubs, so if the chance comes up in the next few games I have confidence in myself and the team that I can do some good things to make an impact and help.”
If Pochettino is going to make the decision to call someone in who isn’t playing regular club soccer, this is exactly what you want to hear from them. It shows a measured approach from Reyna, and as long as he can back it up on the pitch, this is the kind of decision that could end up being a masterstroke from Pochettino. The USMNT will need everything that they can to get past the round of 16 on home soil, and if Pochettino views Reyna as one of the best options in order to do that, this is the camp to show it while facing opposition that could win the World Cup in their own right.
