U.S. men’s national team forward Gio Reyna has once again been left out of the team’s starting XI ahead of its game against England.
The move—met with backlash from fans—should come as no surprise after USMNT’s coach Gregg Berhalter kept Reyna off the pitch in the team’s 1–1 draw against Wales. The coach cited “tightness” in an apparent move in trying to preserve one of the U.S.’s most lethal offensive weapons.
The decision to keep Reyna, the son of American soccer stars Claudio Reyna and Danielle Egan, on the bench against the Welsh, as well as out of the starting lineup vs. the English, has been Berhalter’s decision. In the former, the coach noted it was due to “some tightness we were guarding against” following the game. Reyna has dealt with issues in his groin and hamstring muscles, though he said on Thursday he was ready to go.
