US midfielder Giovanni Reina .
The 20-year-old Reyna didn’t start a game for the USA in Qatar, but played the entire second half of the final game. 16 He lost 3-1 to the Netherlands in the round. The whole team for his lack of effort.
The disclosure came after US manager Greg Berhalter spoke at the HOW Institute for Society’s Moral Leadership Summit in New York on Tuesday. His comments were later published in the newsletter. charter worksin which he said that the United States “had players who clearly didn’t live up to expectations on and off the field. He was one of 26 players. This player. Book a plane ticket to go home.” I was ready. That’s how extreme it was.
– Bowden, Carlyle: Will Verhalter be the US manager in 2026?
– Roundtable: What the US Got Right (and Wrong) in Qatar
Berhalter continued, “We ended up having another conversation with him, and part of the conversation was how we were going to act. One thing was that you have to apologize to the group, but you have to say why you’re apologizing., I’m sorry.’ I’m ready. I said, “OK, this guy is going to apologize to you as a group and to the whole team.”
MLSSoccer.com The first to identify the player as Reina was athletic Reported that Reyna was on his way home and that is why his performance in training affected his playing time.
Berhalter reached out via text message and gave ESPN the following statement: “It doesn’t really matter who it is. Being ready to communicate if unfulfilled.Communication leads to positive change and definite progress.”
Berhalter later added that the presentation was supposed to be off the record.
Reyna’s playing time, or lack thereof, came under intense scrutiny throughout the tournament. Jordan Morris The final substitute used by Burhalter in a 1–1 draw. Burhalter then said he felt Morris’ “speed and power” could give the team something, referring to the “little strain” Reina experienced after the Algarafascrime last Thursday.
Reyna has struggled with injuries over the past 14 months, including a hamstring injury, but told the assembled media after the Welsh game that she was ‘100%’.
“I feel really good, I feel good,” Reina said. “I feel fine. [Berhalter] You don’t have to tell me why he didn’t let me in or why he let me in. ”
Shortly after, Reina confronted her coach and teammates, eventually apologizing.
“What’s been great about this whole thing is that after he apologized, one by one they stood up and said, ‘Listen, it wasn’t good enough. You didn’t live up to our expectations of your teammates. ‘ said Berhalter in his speech. “They really took ownership of the process. And from that day on, this player had no problems.”
The temperature around Reyna’s playing time soared ahead of England’s game when former US international Eric Wynalda said in a Twitter space exchange with the Los Angeles Times that there had been a “civil war”. He said on the Sirius XM radio show that Barhalter lied to the media and asked him to lie to Reina as well.
Wynalda later retracted some of his comments.
Reina played seven minutes in the 0-0 draw against England and did not come on as a substitute in the 1-0 win against Iran.
