da betway： Gio Reyna could be key this summer as the midfielder looks to put the 2022 World Cup behind him

da realbet： In any normal scenario, there wouldn't be a reason to expect much from Gio Reyna this summer. He's heading into the upcoming Copa America in brutal form, having just endured a nightmare of a club season. His confidence is no doubt shaken a bit. It has to be, right?

This isn't a normal scenario, though, and Reyna is far from a normal player. In fact, he's an extremely unique one, which is why he remains such a talking point in the lead-up to the U.S. men's national team's Copa America run.

Heading into this summer, the USMNT have high hopes for the Copa. It's a vital test, particularly on the road to the 2026 World Cup. For years, this team has been building up the ability to go toe-to-toe with the world's elite, and now's the time to prove they can. Uruguay, Brazil and Colombia are all in their pathway, and on U.S. soil. It's time to prove just how far this team has come.

For years, the U.S. has been a good team; now, they want to be a great one. The pieces are there to do just that. Gregg Berhalter has more talent at his disposal than ever before with players featuring for some of the world's biggest clubs.

But the line between good and great is very fine. In the battleground that is international soccer, it can often come down to one player, one difference-maker. And, heading into this summer, Reyna is that player, the one that could be the one to elevate the USMNT from a talented team to a scary one.

Getty ImagesRebuilding after 2022 fallout

We all know the story by now. The 2022 World Cup did not go as planned and, for much of the year-and-a-half since, Reyna and U.S. Soccer have been picking up the pieces.

Reyna's bridge to Berhalter turned out not to be burned, after a very public fallout – and thankfully for all involved. Reyna is back in the team, Berhalter is back as coach and everything is generally tracking well. Publicly, both Reyna and Berhalter have said that the past is in the past.

“We both used this time productively, to start to rebuild, to repair the relationship where we gain trust with each other again," Berhalter said last month. "It did take time, but the relationship is in a much better spot.”

With that out of the way, Reyna has been able to focus on the soccer, and the USMNT has been a vital comfort place for a player that has needed it in a big way.

AdvertisementUSA TodayLeaving club form at his club

Reyna's club situation has been absolutely dire. He played minimal minutes at Borussia Dortmund. He played even fewer at Nottingham Forest. It was essentially a wasted year for the 21-year-old midfielder, one that never got close to going to plan.

It hasn't slowed him down with the USMNT, though. In fact, it seems to have motivated him.

After earning Man of the Match in the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League final, Reyna exploded in October, scoring his first international brace in a 4-0 win over Ghana. Then, in the 2024 Nations League semis, he provided two massive assists against Jamaica before scoring another against Mexico in the finale, earning Player of the Tournament honors.

His performances in the Nations League, in particular, have been a perfect example of what Reyna brings to a team: the ability to change games with just one kick of the ball.

GettyA game-changer

Level at one apiece in extra time against Jamaica, the USMNT needed a spark. It turned out to be Reyna, and it turned out he had more than one spark in him.

The midfielder's two assists to Haji Wright were breathtakingly perfect, the type of passes only the most creative players can make. It takes skill to not just play the balls he did, but to see them in the first place. There are few players out there with the ability, vision and confidence to make those passes happen.

That's what Reyna brings to the team. For all of his issues on the club level and for all of the nonsense that went on off the field, Reyna is arguably this team's best at simply making things happen. The USMNT has dynamic players all over the field, but there is no one better than Reyna at connecting them and, ultimately, putting them in a place to do what they do best.

Reyna is the most likely to spring Tim Weah with a line-breaking pass down the right-hand side. He's the most likely to find Christian Pulisic's run between the centerbacks. He's the player best-equipped to cross a ball onto the head of a driving Weston McKennie or to sneak a pass between defenders for Folarin Balogun to run onto.

That's all well and good, but one question remains: how do you get him on the field?

GettyRebuilding the midfield

The "MMA" midfield of Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah and Tyler Adams is really good. You saw it at the World Cup. That trio went toe-to-toe with England and looked the better group – there aren't many midfields in the world that can do that.

Breaking that group up will be hard, but it may be necessary to get Reyna onto the field.

Adams' fitness makes that decision a bit easier. The Bournemouth star played even less than Reyna this season as injuries ruined his first campaign with his new club. He's not yet 90-minutes fit, but does seem like one heck of a supersub to close out a game, particularly in the first two group stage matches against Bolivia and Panama.

With that in mind, it's still not a sure thing. Johnny Cardoso has been incredible this season, showing the ability to step into that Adams role after breaking out in La Liga. He's not Adams, at least not yet, but Cardoso is one heck of a player.

Going with Reyna, though, seems to be the answer.