Mauricio Pochettino took a gamble on Reyna, and the midfielder delivered a Man of the Match performance as the USMNT opened November camp with a win.
CHESTER, Pa. – To say Gio Reyna is under pressure is putting it lightly. Everyone knows what’s at stake for him, especially after so long on the sidelines. He needed a moment this camp – something that showed why he could, and maybe should, be at the World Cup next summer. It took four minutes for him to deliver it. His opening goal was the moment of the match on Saturday, but it wasn’t the only one as he helped lead the U.S. to a 2-1 win over Paraguay at Subaru Park.
Reyna's goal came early and, for the oft-discussed midfielder, it surely felt good. Played in by a Max Arfsten cross, Reyna made no mistake with his header, smashing it off the crossbar and in to set a tone for both himself and his team.
"It wasn't perfect. Just honestly happy to be back playing with this group, with this staff," Reyna told Turner Sports after the game. "It was my first header ever, actually. I've been training [on that] at my club, Gladbach, because I'm pretty tall and feel like I can jump pretty well. It's just about timing and technique. So it's starting to pay off."
Paraguay, however, fired right back, taking advantage of a USMNT breakdown to equalize at one apiece in the 10th minute. Alex Arce, the 30-year-old veteran, provided the finishing touch of a Miguel Almiron assist, one that came as a result of several defensive mishaps on the U.S. side. From there, though, the U.S. settled down before, ultimately, getting their winning goal late on from a familiar goalscorer: Folarin Balogun.
Reyna was once again involved, although he won't technically be credited with an assist. His ball in, though, deflected off a defender and straight to Balogun, who made no mistake in netting his third goal in as many starts for the U.S. Reyna acknowledged he's developed off-the-field chemistry with the U.S. striker.
"We both can just do a bit of everything," Reyna explained. "I think we just try to get working in training and just speak honestly. I think communication is the most important thing between us. And we have a really, really good relationship, on and off the pitch. So it's eye contact, little things that we've grown to know, to get, get each other, get to know each other. So, yeah, it's great to play with him. Makes my life easy, and I try to help him out too."
Another win for the U.S., then, who are now unbeaten in four. They've won three of those four and, despite having an obviously weakened lineup, Saturday was the latest of those three. The big story isn't the result, though; it's Reyna, who changed the game on Saturday and offered a reminder that he might just be a player who can change games when they matter more next summer.
GOAL rates the USMNT's players from Subaru Park…
Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defense
Matt Freese (5/10):
Nothing he could do on the goal. Had little to do otherwise.
Sergino Dest (6/10):
Got forward a whole lot and got back a whole little – which is typical for Dest. Effective, but there were hefty gaps defensively on that right-hand side.
Joe Scally (6/10):
Speaking of that right-hand side, he was a bit too high at points, given the player next to him, but he grew into the game. Misread the ball on Paraguay's goal, although he wasn't the only one to break down on that sequence. Still, there were positive signs worth remembering that could lead to Pochettino trying this again.
Miles Robinson (6/10):
Lost Arce on the goal as the final breakdown on that goal. Was okay otherwise, particularly on the ball as he grew into the game.
Tim Ream (7/10):
Lack of pace was exposed a few times against an athletic Paraguay team. Hit a few stunning cross-field passes, though, and was rock solid outside of that goal sequence.
Max Arfsten (8/10):
Fantastic cross in on Reyna's goal. Showed plenty of ability going forward, as he generally does from that wing back role.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield
Tanner Tessmann (7/10):
In a word? Tidy. Nothing overly crazy, but he was clean on the ball and decent enough defensively. Certainly handled the physicality well.
Cristian Roldan (6/10):
Had one great chance that forced a decent save. Not wildly dynamic, but did provide consistency and stability in that midfield spot.
Getty Images SportAttack
Gio Reyna (8/10):
Great header on the goal, which surely felt much-needed. Could have pressed a little better on Paraguay's response, but there's no doubting his ability to impact the game on the attacking side. That popped up again late when he helped set up Balogun's big finish.
Brenden Aaronson (6/10):
Got absolutely mauled all through the first half, but kept getting back up. Had a few good moments on the ball, but was generally knocked down before they turned into much.
Folarin Balogun (8/10):
Didn't get much service throughout, but did press hard. Was finally rewarded with a good bounce to him for his goal, which was taken well.
GettySubs & Manager
Alex Freeman (6/10):
Certainly known for his attacking skill, but did bring a bit more stability on the right once he was thrown into the match. Got into a bit of a scrap at the end, but was nowhere near his fault.
Diego Luna (7/10):
Typical from Luna, who made his impact by nearly getting an assist.
Aidan Morris (6/10):
Didn't get too many touches after replacing Roldan
Timothy Tillman (6/10):
Created a dangerous moment soon after coming on, so kudos to him, especially considering the fact that he was a late call-up.
Ricardo Pepi (5/10):
Had a golden opportunity, but took one too many touches to allow Paraguay time to block it away.
Sebastian Berhalter (N/A):
Came on late to replace Aaronson. Shoutout to him for jumping right in to defend Freeman, though.
Mauricio Pochettino (7/10):
Threw out a strong lineup and was rewarded with a win. He'll be happy with plenty of what he saw, which is the big goal of this camp, isn't it?
