Simply 209 days from kicking off their World Cup opener, the US males’s nationwide workforce remains to be trying to find choices. Investigating prospects. One would possibly even use that loaded phrase: experimenting.
On a cold fall evening outdoors Philadelphia, a minimum of a kind of experiments yielded a risk, an possibility, a long-awaited mild on the finish of a darkish interval for one of the mercurial skills ever to put on a US jersey.
Gio Reyna’s return to the nationwide workforce in any respect was noteworthy sufficient. That he began in Saturday’s pleasant towards Paraguay was considerably shocking, given his lack of sport time and up to date damage at Borussia Mönchengladbach. That he scored inside 5 minutes, continued to function successfully nicely into the second half, then arrange the decisive aim in a 2-1 win stands as a probably – probably! – essential second within the host nation’s preparations for the world’s stage. If Reyna is pleased, wholesome, and cozy with a task to play with the US, head coach Mauricio Pochettino has a really intriguing attacking possibility at his disposal that might elevate the US workforce’s ceiling subsequent 12 months.
The Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder is certainly one of the gifted attacking midfielders of his era, however a lot of his time because the 2022 World Cup has been spent touring from one controversy to a different, one damage to a different, one unimpressed membership coach to a different, and now this summer season, one membership to a different searching for the sport time he wanted to get again within the US image.
He hasn’t fairly discovered that point at Mönchengladbach, however Pochettino admitted he was referred to as as much as the US for this window as a result of it is likely one of the final probabilities the top coach must assess Reyna’s match with the workforce earlier than the pool will get culled significantly forward of the March 2026 worldwide window – the final earlier than the World Cup roster might be named.
The impressions have been optimistic in camp, and much more optimistic early on towards Paraguay. Reyna’s fourth-minute aim got here on a uncommon header for the attacking midfielder, rising to satisfy a cross from Max Arfsten with a cushioned effort that bounced off the underside of the crossbar and over the road. Reyna wheeled away, seemingly doing all the pieces in his energy to not acknowledge the non-public momentousness of the aim. With no histrionics, he pointed to the US badge, acknowledged his joyous teammates and returned to the middle circle.
The US, in fact, have considerations far broader than Reyna. Amongst them is the workforce’s ongoing adaptation to a three-man backline look that has introduced the workforce essentially the most success in 2025 – with three center-backs and two attacking wingbacks (On Saturday, Sergiño Dest on the proper and Arfsten on the left) to push ahead and be a part of the assault at will.
Whereas the US assault was lacking massive skills in Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, the defensive unit needed to equally adapt with out key stars – Crystal Palace center-back Chris Richards and Bournemouth defensive midfielder Tyler Adams, each of whom missed this camp after choosing up knocks at membership degree.
As such, Saturday’s backline additionally featured a reintroduction: Reyna’s Mönchengladhabch teammate Joe Scally. Pochettino had determined towards calling within the Borussia Mönchengladbach defender ever since a below-par show at March’s Nations League finals, however he returned to camp this week and appeared on Saturday in a brand new position for the US – as the proper center-back in that three-man backline, which shifted to a again 4 when the US was out of possession with Scally shifting over to his pure right-back place.
The tailored backline defended nicely when referred to as upon, with the notable exception of Alex Arce’s Tenth-minute equalizer, as a easy lengthy ball set the US on the again foot and gaps between the again three have been so giant and welcoming that the 30-year-old wasn’t inside 5 yards of stress when making use of the end from across the penalty spot.
after publication promotion
Nevertheless, in addition they skilled numerous difficulties within the first half in possession. At numerous factors, all three of Tim Ream, Miles Robinson and Scally have been caught napping in possession, unaware of stress that compelled determined passes that have been picked off in midfield, which have been rapidly adopted by fouls and set items that Paraguay did not capitalize upon. There have been additionally occasional points with positioning when the ball was upfield – Robinson picked up a yellow card within the twenty sixth minute after Paraguay turned the US over and sprinted ahead, leaving him in no man’s land the place he made a tactical foul with different defenders round him to cease the break.
These small lapses, although, weren’t consultant of a bigger sample. The US’s stable defending allowed them to remain within the sport, probing Paraguay persistently till Reyna popped as much as present the breakthrough. Taking part in a pleasant 1-2 with Folarin Balogun, Reyna picked his head up on the way in which to the endline and fired in a low cross that caromed off a pair Paraguay defenders earlier than discovering Balogun, who completed with ease. Reyna pumped his arm as Balogun sprinted away. Reyna was eliminated not lengthy afterward.
The 75 minutes he performed on Saturday stands as essentially the most since the US’ 2-1 loss to Uruguay within the 2024 Copa América, a loss that ended their event and the tenure of Gregg Berhalter because the workforce’s coach. The US meet Uruguay once more on Tuesday in Tampa, Florida, as soon as once more in possession of an attacking possibility that they hope will result in a greater final result.
