da premier bet： The coach and player have had their meeting, but there's still a lot of work to be done to rebuild the playmaker physically and mentally
da dobrowin： Gio Reyna is back. Well, almost back at least. It's been a while since we've seen the United States men's national team star making things happen for club or country, but as the calendar turns towards October, it appears that Reyna is nearly ready.
First up will be Borussia Dortmund duty, as the German club has some big early-season games coming up. Hoffenheim, who sit one place above Dortmund in the Bundesliga table in the early stages of the season, are next up on Friday, before a marquee Champions League clash with Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and AC Milan five days later. That will come amid a week that has seen Reyna linked to the Serie A giants, adding further intrigue to a Group-of-Death match that needs little more.
Coming soon, though, is the big moment: the USMNT reunion. The U.S. has massive matches coming up, friendlies against Germany and Ghana that should provide big tests. All eyes, though, will be on Reyna, who for the first time since everything went down following the 2022 World Cup, will be reunited with national team boss Gregg Berhalter.
The big question is what that looks like going forward. The two have spoken but, heading towards U.S. camp, what condition is Reyna in, both physically and mentally? Having dealt with some setbacks on and off the field this year, what can Reyna do over the next few months to make sure he ends 2023 on a high?
GettyNearing a return
It's been about three months since we last saw Reyna on the field. That came in the CONCACAF Nations League, when he helped lift the U.S. to a trophy with his fantastic play from a new midfield position.
A foot injury suffered during that pursuit, though, derailed the start of the season. He missed Dortmund's tour of the U.S. and the start of the Bundesliga season. The good news is that he's almost ready to return.
Reyna has been on the bench for each of Dortmund's last two matches, one in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain and one in the league against Wolfsburg. He hasn't yet stepped foot on the field, but it seems that moment is coming. He's nearing a long-awaited return.
AdvertisementGetty/GOALThe Berhalter situation
While his return on the club level will be a welcome sight for Dortmund fans, those that support the USMNT will be eagerly awaiting Reyna's next call-up. Part of that is due to what he can do on the field, as Reyna seems tailor-made for the new role he played in the Nations League. The other part? Pure intrigue. What in the world will all of this look like under Berhalter?
We all know the story by now. Blackmail, meddling, betrayal… a big old mess. The moment that Berhalter was rehired, the big question became how, and when, he'd patch things up with Reyna.
Unfortunately, that moment didn't come during Berhalter's first camp in September. Reyna missed the matches against Oman and Uzbekistan due to his injury, delaying the reunion. At that point, though, Berhalter said he'd yet to sit down with Reyna and have the inevitable clearing-of-the-air required for the two to work together.
"Those are conversations that I look forward to and it's just understanding sensitivities around it," Berhalter said ahead of September camp. "He's a young player. I think for everyone involved, it's been a lot for the last six months and we just want to do it in the best possible way to put him in position to help the team in a way that we know he can. Unfortunately, he was ruled out for this camp, but I look forward to continuing to monitor his progress at Dortmund and hopefully getting him back into camp in October."
Ahead of that October camp, that conversation has now happened, and that's important news for the USMNT.
Getty ImagesA vital meeting
Details are scarce about the meeting that has occurred, but U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker confirmed to reporters that both Reyna and Berhalter have had a productive conversation.
"I think both Greg and Gio are in a good place to move forward," Crocker said. "Clearly there's been a lot of emotions over the last 12 months. The common connection is they both want the program to be successful and that's the starting point and there's a clear way forward, a professional way of working and they're both ready."
That conversation was the first step, and it's likely the first of many. Fixing what was broken will take time and trust. It will be the biggest challenge of Berhalter's tenure, for sure.
It all begins in October, and the hope is that Reyna will be fit enough to contribute during his first camp back involved. "Gio's looking forward to the next camp, as soon as he's fit," Crocker said, "and Gregg's looking forward to working with him."
Role going forward
While Berhalter was gone, Anthony Hudson and B.J. Callaghan offered a glimpse into what life could look like this cycle for Reyna. Having been played primarily on the wing throughout Berhalter's first tenure, Reyna was shifted to a central position during his absence, playing a big part from that role. His assist for Folarin Balogun's first USMNT goal was sublime, showing what he can do to create in that position.
Now, we'll have to find out if he's convinced Berhalter of that, as playing Reyna centrally would require a massive shift for the USMNT. It would require one of Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie or Yunus Musah to be benched, which would be a massive call considering that group's success. Considering Adams' own injury issues, though, maybe this window is the perfect chance to give that a look and offer the new Bournemouth midfielder a chance to grow at his new club.
It'll be a storyline to watch going forward, and one that may never give us a definitive answer. Reyna's role could be entirely situational, one based on opponent, his team-mates and, most importantly, his health.