CHESTER, Pa. — Eight months since Gio Reyna last put on a U.S. men’s national team kit, the talented midfielder is back in camp and showing plenty of improvement.
Reyna is part of Mauricio Pochettino’s November roster ahead of Saturday’s home friendly vs. Paraguay at Subaru Park. The Borussia Moenchengladbach attacker is seeking his first USMNT minutes since making a 21-minute cameo against Canada in a CONCACAF Nations League third-place match defeat last March.
It’s been over two years since Reyna’s tallied a goal contribution for the United States and three years since he garnered plenty of attention for his attitude and actions with the USMNT at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
While club playing time has remained a worry for the 23-year-old in Germany, Reyna has received plenty of praise and support from his USMNT teammates for his growth as both a player and teammate.
“I’m really happy he is here and I’m looking forward to playing with him,” USMNT striker Folarin Balogun said about Reyna’s return to camp. “I think me and him have a great connection and as a striker he’s the sort of player that you want providing creativity behind you.
“For Gio, it’s been a bit stop-start, but he has already shown some good things in training and has made some good impacts,” Balogun added. “He’s a lot more mature now, he’s married, and I think he just wants to put all of the noise behind him and just play and do what he does best. Really looking forward to working with him again.”
Reyna has struggled to replicate his goal contributions of 13 (2020-21) and 11 (2022-23) over the past two seasons in Europe. Despite making 50 combined appearances for Borussia Dortmund and Nottingham Forest since August 2023, Reyna has totaled just three goals and one assist at club level, mainly serving as a bench option.
A loan move to Borussia Moenchengladbach has not only opened the door for Reyna to play a larger role, but it’s also connected him with USMNT and former NYCFC academy teammate Joe Scally.
Getting Reyna back on the field against Paraguay and Uruguay will surely be part of Pochettino’s plans over the next four days, and both defenders Tim Ream and Sergino Dest admitted that Reyna looks all business heading into the final fixtures of the year.
“I am happy that he’s back,” Dest told reporters Friday during media availability. “I feel like I have always had great chemistry with him and he’s doing well so I hope it stays this way. I hope he stays physically healthy and that he stays with the team.”
“I feel like he’s more in-tune and more focused on the field than I’ve seen in the past, which is a great thing,” Ream said. “Whether it was injury or other things that were going on, I think his focus is so much greater now.”