Reyna's Immediate Impact in USMNT Comeback
In a moment that felt both cathartic and significant for American soccer, Gio Reyna needed just four minutes to announce his return to the US men's national team. On a crisp autumn evening in Pennsylvania, the mercurial midfielder rose to meet Max Arfsten's cross, directing a precise header off the crossbar and into the net to give the USA an early lead against Paraguay.
This wasn't merely another international friendly. For Reyna, it represented redemption after 209 days away from the national team setup—a period marred by controversy, injuries, and uncertain club fortunes at Borussia Mönchengladbach. That manager Mauricio Pochettino started him despite limited recent playing time made the immediate goal all the more remarkable.
Experimental Lineup Shows Promise and Problems
The Americans entered this match with clear experimental intentions, testing both personnel and formation ahead of their World Cup opener in less than a year. Pochettino deployed a three-man backline featuring an unfamiliar right center-back in Joe Scally, Reyna's club teammate who earned his recall after being omitted since March's Nations League finals.
While the defensive unit showed resilience overall, they conceded an equalizer just six minutes after Reyna's opener. A simple long ball exposed concerning gaps in the American defense, allowing Alex Arce to fire home unchallenged from the penalty spot.
The first half revealed several concerning moments in possession, with Tim Ream, Miles Robinson, and Scally all guilty of careless passes under pressure. Robinson's 26th-minute yellow card for a tactical foul further highlighted defensive vulnerabilities when Paraguay countered quickly.
Reyna Provides the Decisive Moment
As the match approached its final quarter-hour, the 21-year-old playmaker again demonstrated his unique quality. Engaging in a slick one-two with striker Folarin Balogun, Reyna drove toward the endline before delivering a low cross that deflected off Paraguayan defenders and fell perfectly for Balogun to slot home the winner.
The assist capped an impressive 75-minute performance—Reyna's longest outing since the United States' Copa América elimination against Uruguay last summer. His purposeful celebration, pointing to the US badge rather than indulging in personal theatrics, suggested a player focused on team success rather than individual redemption.
Pochettino had explicitly stated that this international window represented one of his final opportunities to assess Reyna's integration before World Cup roster decisions intensify. The midfielder's commanding display—featuring a rare headed goal, creative passing, and decisive assist—provided compelling evidence that he remains a potentially transformative talent for the American attack.
The victory sets up an intriguing reunion with Uruguay on Tuesday in Tampa, Florida—the same opponent that ended the US's Copa América campaign and Gregg Berhalter's tenure as coach. With Reyna now reinstated as a potent attacking option, the Americans will hope for a dramatically different outcome.
