Mauricio Pochettino hugged the prodigal son of the US men's team as he walked off the field, pecking Gio Reyna on the cheek and whispering something in his ear.
We'll probably never know what exactly he said, but we can guess.
Thank youMaybe. For the goal that Reina scored in the fourth minute and the quasi-assist he provided in the 71st of the 75 minutes he played. US friendly win over Paraguay 2-1. on Saturday. For extending the USMNT's unbeaten streak to four after wins over Japan and Australia and a draw with Ecuador.
Thank you, and for repaying Pochettino's faith with something of a shocking challenge and an even more shocking start. For not making his manager look stupid after he called Reina a “special player” earlier this week when Pochettino had to answer awkward questions about breaking his own rule of only selecting players who are in good form. After all, Reyna has only played 150 minutes this season for Borussia Mönchengladbach since joining from Borussia Dortmund in search of, well, more minutes. He has not played for Team USA since they were eliminated from the America's Cup on July 1, 2024.
Thank you, of course, for giving the Americans another offensive weapon. For allowing Serginho Dest to take up a position on the right flank and form an attractive new pairing that provided attacking impetus when the team was once again severely deprived of labor – strikers Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah, midfielders Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams, and defenders Chris Richards and Anthony Robinson are missing. To detect pockets in half-spaces, as well as opening angles and cracks in the Paraguay low block.
“I’m so happy with him,” Pochettino said of Reina after the game. “He showed why he started. Today we see that he was great, he scored, [unofficial] help, and [always had] the ability to read the game and find space between the lines, I think it was a nightmare for Paraguay and he did a very good job.”
Reyna had the trust of his manager, a feeling that had eluded him over the years. the last few disappointing years. “Play with your instincts, be yourself, that’s what the coaches have been telling me the last few days,” he told TNT after the game.
When this incarnation of the USMNT first began to be bandied about with the grand moniker of the “golden generation,” it was because of players like Reyna, the captivatingly gifted son of Claudio Reyna, the former U.S. captain. Gio was a player with tools and skills that one could only dream of. Distinguisher at the highest level. Potentially, anyway. Good enough to break into a loaded Dortmund team as a teenager alongside Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham.
Reyna's international breakthrough came slowly, but came with a brilliant performance in the 2024 Concacaf Nations League final, when he was named the tournament's best player and led the US to a third straight title. There was something magical about Reina in those two games as he took control of the overtime win over Jamaica and the outright victory over Mexico.
His first appearance under Pochettino came at the same tournament a year later, when an apathetic USA fell to its own devices. Reyna, like several of her teammates, looked completely disposable. Saturday marked his first appearance since then and only his second game in Pochettino's 13th month in charge.
Reyna is perhaps the program's most talented player and certainly its most confusing prospect, oscillating between stellar performances, injury layoffs and unpleasant scandaland for a long time was not popular with both the club and the country. He commands the spotlight or gets booed off stage; it's never average.
But when he takes the field, as he did on Saturday, there is no one like him in the player pool. “Oh, he’s fun to play with,” goalie Matt Freese said. “Just give him the ball and everything will happen.”
His goal was exemplary. He's quite tall, he noted casually, and he's been practicing headers at Gladbach for the last few weeks. He scored his first header goal in his professional career two days after his 23rd birthday. “A little gift to myself,” he said. It was also ammo for the family group chat. The goal, Gio Reyna's ninth for the United States, surpassed his father's eight, a fact that Gio said he was unaware of until he returned to the locker room, after which he texted his father some light-hearted jokes.
The second goal was more of a retrograde achievement for Reina. Diego Luna and Cristian Roldan gave Paraguay a turnover that went to striker Folarin Balogun. He fired over the line to Reina, who put the ball back into the path of Balogun. It took a rebound to deny Reyna an assist, but it fell to the striker, who scored for the third time in four matches.
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However, Reina mainly combined with Serginho Dest on the right flank, a moveable player who had little opportunity under Pochettino, mainly due to injury. The Dutch-American, who plays at full-back in Pochettino's new 3-4-3 system, was making just his third appearance in the United States since 2023.
This game isn't exactly a standout game for Dest. He lost the ball several times. His defense hasn't been remarkable since, well, it's not something he's particularly good at. And yet he added something subtle. Bonus threat in the future. A little grace and chic. A touch of chaos. The eccentric PSV player can also rush inside and score a stunning goal with the laces on his bad foot untied – as he almost did in the second half when his searing shot went just over the crossbar, albeit with the studs properly attached – as he should lose your cool and get a red card. He is probably the most creative player on the team ambulatory tekkers coil. He, of course, the most fun.
Moreover, it creates overload with its versatility. “He can play a lot of different positions,” linebacker Brenden Aaronson said. “He can be very technical in the pocket. He's not just a right-back or a right wing-back. He can play in that central role. He's a tremendous player. He offers something completely different from a lot of other players.”
Pochettino preaches culture and competitiveness, as well as an aggressive attitude in everything the team does on the pitch. But if the Americans are to succeed at next summer's World Cup, they will need the individual talents of their top players to shine. After all, this is how the biggest games are won. small flashes when inspiration overcomes difficulties. They will need the Destas and the Rains in these small moments.
Late on Saturday night's game, TNT showed Raina chatting with Balogun on the bench. Their work was done, their point was proven. Reyna tried to look calm and nonchalant, as if it was just another night. But he couldn't help himself. A smile appeared on his lips, the kind of smile that suggests you may have just finally forced the situation in your favor.
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Leander Charlekens' book about the US men's national soccer team, The Long Game, will be published in spring 2026. You can pre-order it here. He teaches at Marist University.
