Opinion: Dreaming of a Berhalter-Reyna hug
The USMNT coach admits he and the young striker have some work to do
Imagine a scenario where Gregg Berhalter is nervously pacing the sidelines. The U.S., you see, are in desperate need of a goal.
What happens next is Gio Reyna scores a spectacular goal, then runs to the USMNT bench to hug Berhalter as his teammates celebrate around them.
This isn’t a far-fetched scenario. In fact, it can potentially happen in the near future. Following six months of uncertainty and controversy, U.S. Soccer announced on Friday that it had rehired Berhalter to coach the men’s national team.
What American soccer endured over the first half of this year is a saga worthy of a soap opera storyline. The hope now is that the national team can get back on track as they prepare for the 2026 World Cup.
Berhalter said there is work to be done in rebuilding his relationship with Reyna during his first news conference since returning to the U.S. bench. Berhalter confirmed that he had not met with or spoken to Reyna since the World Cup ended last December.
“I’d certainly acknowledge that there’s work to do,” Berhalter said, “and Gio is an important player to this team. He’s an extremely talented individual and I have the obligation and the commitment to coach him like I coach every other player.”
Following the U.S.’s World Cup elimination in the round of 16 against the Netherlands, Berhalter had been the focus of an investigation after allegations of domestic violence against him surfaced — information given to U.S. Soccer officials by Reyna's parents upset with their son’s lack of playing time.
In March, U.S. Soccer deemed that the incident between Berhalter and his now-wife when they were in college did not eliminate him from consideration for another cycle as head coach.
The announcement and news conference of Berhalter’s return may have taken place in Las Vegas, but the reality is that his rehiring isn’t much of a gamble. Berhalter has instilled a winning culture around a very young program and helped rebuild the team after the U.S’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
While fans may find the appointment underwhelming — especially those who dreamed of bringing in a foreign manager — the truth is that the players have largely endorsed Berhalter’s return. Team leaders such as Christian Pulisic, Walker Zimmerman and Timothy Weah have all said so publicly over the past few weeks and months.
“I think he should be considered,” Pulisic told reporters last week when asked about Berhalther’s chances of returning. “I think he did a great job with the team. He brought us a long way. I think a lot of people, a lot of guys on the team especially, would agree with that.”
Meanwhile, Berhalter — happy about the team’s performance at the World Cup in Qatar — said the aim in 2026, when the U.S. co-hosts the World Cup with Mexico and Canada, is to get far in the knockout round.
“We’re going to have to learn how to beat big opponents in knockout games,” he said. “That’s the next step for this group.”
And that very win could come thanks to a Reyna goal. Wouldn’t that, followed by a hug, be a special way to put an end to this horrible saga.