A lingering question as USA preps for Iran: What's up with Gio Reyna? - FOX Sports

AL RAYYAN, Qatar – It's the communicative surrounding the U.S. men's nationalist squad that Gregg Berhalter wishes would halt being talked about. 

The funny lawsuit of Giovanni Reyna. 

The 20-year-old winger has been a hot-button taxable since earlier the World Cup began, and not by his ain doing. Reyna – the closest happening to U.S. Soccer royalty arsenic the lad of two-time U.S. World Cup skipper Claudio Reyna and erstwhile U.S. women's nationalist squad subordinate Danielle Egan – is 1 of the brightest young stars connected a squad afloat of agleam stars. He figured to play a immense relation for the Americans successful Qatar, but has been mostly absent from the tract truthful far. 

Reyna, who has 15 caps, 4 goals and 1 assistance since his archetypal call-up successful 2020, did not play successful the Americans' archetypal lucifer against Wales and came connected successful the 83rd infinitesimal against England. 

As the U.S. faces World Cup elimination connected Tuesday successful its 3rd and last radical signifier lucifer against Iran astatine Al Thumama Stadium (2 p.m. ET connected FOX and the FOX Sports App), a question lingers: What's the woody with Reyna? 

USMNT's Gio Reyna connected his idiosyncratic travel to the 2022 FIFA World Cup

The Americans person to triumph Tuesday to beforehand to the knockout signifier of the tournament. Iran, connected the different hand, lone needs a necktie to determination onto the circular of 16 acknowledgment to a 2-0 triumph implicit Wales connected Friday. 

[For the USMNT, the knockout circular has arrived early]

Berhalter's starting lineup has been mostly the aforesaid done 2 games, but astatine striker. Josh Sargent started against Wales and Haji Wright got the motion against England. There's a content that Jesus Ferreira, the 3rd existent striker connected this squad, could commencement against Iran. 

Berhalter was asked connected Monday however helium would measure the play of his halfway forwards truthful far, and if helium would see playing Reyna successful that relation to springiness Iran a antithetic look. Berhalter responded by saying that Sargent had a bully accidental successful the adjacent station against Wales and Wright was effectual against England. He acknowledged his squad could person been amended successful the punishment box, but "it's up to the remainder of the radical to springiness them prime work truthful that they tin decorativeness disconnected immoderate opportunities." 

As acold arsenic Reyna goes, Berhalter had this to say: "I deliberation successful presumption of alternatives astatine the striker position, we are comfy with the 3 that we have. We haven't needfully thought astir putting Gio successful determination oregon Christian [Pulisic] determination oregon Timmy Weah determination oregon Jordan Morris there. We've been much focused connected the 3 that we person successful camp." 

[Forget tactics and lineups: For USMNT, it's astir having close mentality]

The 6-foot-1 Reyna is simply a unsafe attacking subordinate erstwhile healthy. He's a astute and method guardant with superb shot skills and was the youngest American to look successful the UEFA Champions League successful 2020 (then 17), breaking the grounds formerly acceptable by Pulisic. He's wide considered to beryllium 1 of the top talents that U.S. Soccer has ever had. 

Over the past year, Reyna experienced injuries that constricted his availability for the nationalist squad during qualifying and besides for his Bundesliga club, Borussia Dortmund. He played successful his club's last 3 games earlier the World Cup interruption and for each intents and purposes, helium was deemed a steadfast and acceptable subordinate of Berhalter's 26-man roster. 

Reyna told reporters that helium felt "100% healthy" aft the Wales crippled contempt not playing. Berhalter decided to bring connected substitutes Brenden Aaronson, Wright, DeAndre Yedlin and Kellyn Acosta portion the U.S. led 1-0, and past Morris came connected successful the 88th minute. Berhalter said that aforesaid nighttime that Reyna mightiness person experienced "a small spot of tightness" from a scrimmage earlier successful the week against Qatar nine squad Al-Gharafa SC, and noted they were "building him up and deliberation helium tin play a large relation successful the tournament. The question is when." Reyna past played astir 20 minutes successful the 2nd lucifer against England.

Asking Berhalter astir Reyna's presumption has present go A Thing. And the manager appears irritated by the enactment of questioning. But adjacent erstwhile U.S. skipper Landon Donovan wants to cognize what's going on. 

"He comes into this tournament, we've each got him penciled successful for the starting lineup and each of a sudden, helium doesn't measurement connected the tract against Wales and we're thinking, ‘What's going connected here?'" Donovan said connected FOX earlier the England match. "I'm not definite what the world is. He says 1 thing, Gregg says another. I don't know, but we request this feline connected the tract if we're going to beryllium successful." 

Perhaps each questions volition beryllium answered connected Tuesday nighttime successful what's arguably the biggest crippled successful U.S. Soccer history. Or possibly the enigma could continue.

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Laken Litman covers assemblage football, assemblage hoops and shot for FOX Sports. She antecedently wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the writer of "Strong Like a Woman," published successful outpouring 2022 to people the 50th day of Title IX. Follow her connected Twitter @LakenLitman.