Heading into his second FIFA World Cup, and the first on American soil since 1994, U.S. Men’s National Team attacker Gio Reyna has addressed what he believes is this team’s “biggest strength.”
Set to kick off their tournament in Group D on Friday against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT harbors big ambitions ahead of the competition, which will, for the first time, feature 48 teams.
Pochettino has regularly stated confidently that he wants his side to enter the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, believing that they can go all the way for the first time.
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Reaching such a monumental feat will require real togetherness, something Reyna clearly believes this team has in abundance. “I think the biggest strength of this team is that we really, really enjoy spending time with each other. And we really, really enjoy each other as human beings,” he said on Tuesday.
“So I think that shows in how we play. Yeah, whether it’s running for each other or in moments having each other’s back in chippy moments. Yeah, that’s our biggest strength is how much we love each other. And, yeah, my favorite time, of course, is being on the pitch. But besides that, I think everyone would say the same. The memories we’re creating off the field right now are some that will last a lifetime.”
This confidence when games do inevitably get “chippy” could come in handy on Friday, if the USMNT and Paraguay’s most recent game in November is anything to go by.
“Of course, when we played them in November it was a very hard game, but we understand the World Cup is just that much different. It’s going to be even chippier than it was last time,” Reyna predicted.
“So we just have to be prepared, be ready to give it our all. Obviously, work on the tactical things that will come up in the next couple of days before the game. But, yeah, we believe, if we do all the right things, we can walk away with a win, hopefully.”
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As Reyna mentioned, he, naturally, hopes to have the opportunity to play a part in the USMNT’s campaign over the course of the coming weeks. This comes after a tough debut season with Borussia Mönchengladbach following his transfer from longtime home Borussia Dortmund, where he’d fallen out of favor and consistently struggled with injuries.
The 23-year-old went on to make just 20 appearances across all competitions, hampered again by injuries whilst largely being deployed as a bit-part player for the Bundesliga side.
When reflecting on how he’s changed over the past four years since the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Reyna believed he’d “matured in different areas.”
He explained, “It’s nice to grow up individually, but also with this team, just to see how everyone’s progressed. A lot of us have kids now and dogs or whatever it is and wives and all that fun stuff. But, of course, as players, too, the progression to see everyone has been great.
“So, we’re four years older, four years more experience, and we just believe we can do something great together.”
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