Gio Reyna Marks Usmnt Return With Goal In 2-1 Win Over Paraguay

Just 209 days from kicking disconnected their World Cup opener, nan US men’s nationalist squad is still searching for options. Investigating possibilities. One mightiness moreover usage that loaded word: experimenting.

On a chilly autumn nighttime extracurricular Philadelphia, astatine slightest 1 of those experiments yielded a possibility, an option, a long-awaited ray astatine nan extremity of a acheronian play for 1 of nan astir mercurial talents ever to deterioration a US jersey.

Gio Reyna’s return to nan nationalist squad astatine each was noteworthy enough. That he started successful Saturday’s friends against Paraguay was somewhat surprising, fixed his deficiency of crippled clip and caller wounded astatine Borussia Mönchengladbach. That he scored wrong 5 minutes, continued to run efficaciously good into nan 2nd half, past group up nan decisive extremity successful a 2-1 triumph stands arsenic a perchance – potentially! – important infinitesimal successful nan big country’s preparations for nan world’s stage. If Reyna is happy, healthy, and comfortable pinch a domiciled to play pinch nan US, caput coach Mauricio Pochettino has a very intriguing attacking action astatine his disposal that could raise nan US team’s ceiling adjacent year.

The Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder is unquestionably 1 of nan astir talented attacking midfielders of his generation, but overmuch of his clip since nan 2022 World Cup has been spent walking from 1 contention to another, 1 wounded to another, 1 unimpressed nine coach to another, and now this summer, 1 nine to different successful hunt of nan crippled clip he needed to get backmost successful nan US picture.

He hasn’t rather recovered that clip astatine Mönchengladbach, but Pochettino admitted he was called up to nan US for this model because it is 1 of nan past chances nan caput coach will person to measure Reyna’s fresh pinch nan squad earlier nan excavation gets culled considerably up of nan March 2026 world model – nan past earlier nan World Cup roster will beryllium named.

The impressions were affirmative successful camp, and moreover much affirmative early connected against Paraguay. Reyna’s fourth-minute extremity came connected a uncommon header for nan attacking midfielder, rising to meet a transverse from Max Arfsten pinch a cushioned effort that bounced disconnected nan underside of nan crossbar and complete nan line. Reyna wheeled away, seemingly doing everything successful his powerfulness not to admit nan individual momentousness of nan goal. With nary histrionics, he pointed to nan US badge, acknowledged his joyous teammates and returned to nan halfway circle.

The US, of course, has concerns acold broader than Reyna. Among them is nan team’s ongoing adjustment to a three-man backline look that has brought nan squad nan astir occurrence successful 2025 – pinch 3 halfway backs and 2 attacking wingbacks (On Saturday, Sergiño Dest connected nan correct and Arfsten connected nan left) to push guardant and subordinate nan onslaught astatine will.

While nan US onslaught was missing large talents successful Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, nan protect portion had to likewise accommodate without cardinal stars – Crystal Palace halfway backmost Chris Richards and Bournemouth protect midfielder Tyler Adams, some of whom missed this campy aft picking up knocks astatine nine level.

As such, Saturday’s backline besides featured a reintroduction: Reyna’s Mönchengladhabch teammate Joe Scally. Pochettino had decided against calling successful nan Borussia Mönchengladbach defender ever since a below-par show astatine March’s Nations League finals, but he returned to campy this week and appeared connected Saturday successful a caller domiciled for nan US – arsenic nan correct halfway backmost successful that three-man backline, which shifted to a backmost 4 erstwhile nan US was retired of possession pinch Scally shifting complete to his earthy correct backmost position.

The adapted backline defended good erstwhile called upon, pinch nan notable objection of Alex Arce’s 10th-minute equalizer, arsenic a elemental agelong shot group nan US connected nan backmost ft and gaps betwixt nan backmost 3 were truthful ample and inviting that nan 30-year-old wasn’t wrong 5 yards of unit erstwhile applying nan decorativeness from astir nan punishment spot.

However, they besides knowledgeable a number of difficulties successful nan first half successful possession. At various points, each 3 of Tim Ream, Miles Robinson and Scally were caught napping successful possession, unaware of unit that forced hopeless passes that were picked disconnected successful midfield, which were quickly followed by fouls and group pieces that Paraguay grounded to capitalize upon. There were besides occasional issues pinch positioning erstwhile nan shot was upfield – Robinson picked up a yellowish paper successful nan 26th infinitesimal aft Paraguay turned nan US complete and sprinted forward, leaving him successful nary man’s onshore wherever he made a tactical foul pinch different defenders astir him to extremity nan break.

Those mini lapses, though, were not typical of a larger pattern. The US’s coagulated defending allowed them to enactment successful nan game, probing Paraguay consistently until Reyna popped up to supply nan breakthrough. Playing a bully 1-2 pinch Folarin Balogun, Reyna picked his caput up connected nan measurement to nan endline and fired successful a debased transverse that caromed disconnected a mates Paraguay defenders earlier uncovering Balogun, who vanished pinch ease. Reyna pumped his limb arsenic Balogun sprinted away. Reyna was removed not agelong afterward.

The 75 minutes he played connected Saturday stands arsenic nan astir since nan United States’ 2-1 nonaccomplishment to Uruguay successful nan 2024 Copa América, a nonaccomplishment that ended their tourney and nan tenure of Gregg Berhalter arsenic nan team’s coach. The US meet Uruguay again connected Tuesday successful Tampa, Florida, erstwhile again successful possession of an attacking action that they dream will lead to a amended outcome.