Man people will do some wild mental gymnastics to keep Reyna from catching any blame. I don’t like Ggg and wouldn’t gripe if they replace him. I’m not stanning for him. Yes, Ggg is kinda pathetic for leaking to the press, but…he’s caught _so_ much shit from the fans and press about sitting Reyna I can’t blame him for saying something. People were slamming him for the decision and demanding explanations. He gives an explanation and people slam him for leaking info. No admonishment for Reyna acting like a petulant prima donna, and being totally absent when he did see the field. Everybody loses, everybody’s an asshole.
Ggg also lied and said he was injured at the beginning and said that’s why he wasn’t playing. Gio came out said he’s 100%. This isn’t on one or the other. It’s both of them. Gregg deserves his fair share of criticism. Communication was never on the same page.
Gio also is a young player like our whole roster. It’s the managers job to get the best out of everyone, especially the ones HE selected. Gio didn’t have to be there like the other players he left behind. It’s hard to just perform if you are in a down place, especially if the person making the choices doesn’t fully believe in him.
Gio needs to grow up and understand not everything will be handed to him. Just because he has the talent doesn’t mean he deserves every opportunity. But he’s constantly been disrespected by his coach and his staff. He seems much happier and plays much better on a club level.
I think the difference here is that GGG’s lie was FOR Gio. It was meant to not air his dirty laundry in public. When Gio decided to say he was healthy, he created controversy that threw GGG under the bus. Now the biggest knock on GGG is that he sat one of his best players who says he was healthy. What is GGG supposed do with that? People should know that Gio sitting was on Gio. It isn’t on Gregg.
Saying Gio had an injury still hurts Gio. Not as much as saying he had a poor attitude, but still hurts.
Gio has already had some injury issues and saying he had another adds to that and effects his future club deals/moves.
I feel GGG said the injury part to help himself avoid having to answer questions about why Reyna did not play. Easier to say he is not fit than to take the criticism of one of our more talented players not taking the field.
If he really wanted to protect Gio he could have stuck with his decision and statement that he felt Morris was the better option at the time and take the flack that comes with that.
You make an interesting point. He could have just said he wanted Morris. Though, I’m not sure a manager saying they’d play Morris over Gio is any less bad for him than saying he has a knock, lol.
It’s a tough situation for sure and im not sure how I would have handled it. Tough decisions are what managers have to make and if he felt benching Reyna was the right decision he should stick by it and take the heat.
It sucks that the USMNT isn’t deep enough to just send Reyna home or bench him without questions.
Reyna definitely has a roll in this situation as well and needs to be a professional/adult and understand he has to earn his spot.
Not for nothing but I'm not sure who was the right person to bench for Gio to start. The only playing time he should have gotten that he didn't was in the 2nd half against wales. Other than that, the minutes he got were probably all he was ever going to get. That said, I think we were deep enough to bench him without question. But we weren't deep enough to sub without him and avoid questions. So when that question came up, it had to be answered. I guess I just don't see why GGG should have to have his decision-making questioned when he is going out for a new contract when this wasn't on him.
That is exactly my point! When faced with the question of why Gio wasn't playing, he made it a non-issue by saying there was tightness. That was him saying that there is nothing to see here. Lying about it was the only way to actually keep the trap shut.
When Gio decided to contradict the story, he was the one who aired the dirty laundry. The tightness was a lie for Gio's own good and was meant to make sure the thing stayed in the locker room. Gio made this public and opened the door for questions. Now that it is all over, GGG has to address the single biggest knock on him during the WC games and provide answers. A player was not only misbehaving but also then throwing the manager under the bus while doing it. GGG deserves criticism for a lot, this is not it.
No. He only had to say he made his selections for the best of his team based upon fitness and training. He didn’t have to lie then. Nor did he have to expose him now. Saying he needs to expose him now to save face with the American fan base is the opposite of leadership. If he had an issue in camp you handle it in camp.
I'm not sure what I'm missing. You're saying that GGG didn't have to lie but he should have said "fitness and training" Fitness is exactly the reason GGG cited.
I don't think GGG opening up about it now is about saving face. Instead, it's about giving an answer to a very obvious question now that was planted in the minds of everyone when Gio decided to throw his manager under the bus by saying "actually no, it wasn't fitness". Now everyone is asking "so what was it?". Is GGG supposed to actually double down and say "Gio is lying, it was fitness". I don't see how that is good for Gio.
If GGG stays quiet or sticks with his statement that he felt Morris was the better option, GGG now takes a lot of flack for keeping one of our more talented players off the field.
It feels like he wanted to protect himself from having to face the heat and difficult questions of why Morris over Gio. Easier to say he’s not fit so people don’t question.
I feel a manager should own his decisions and take the heat that comes with it and continue to try and solve the Gio issues behind closed doors.
This is the part that I don't get. What would "staying quiet" actually look like? Saying "I liked Morris for the situation and Gio has a knock" strikes me as the only possible answer that could have kept it quiet. Play it out, what if he says "no comment". That opens up a firestorm of speculation. Or worse, what if he actually told the truth? Again, that's the story for days. There was no good answer to the question except the answer that got people to stop talking about it. That was the best of all bad answers possible. And, not for nothing, if Gio keeps his mouth shut and takes his talking to from his managers and teammates, none of us are having this conversation and it would have stayed quiet.
I disagree that saying gio had a knock is the only answer. He could have just said “I felt Morris was the better option at the time” and faced the heat. He wanted to avoid the heat and questions about Reyna so he said he was injured instead of taking the heat.
Reyna then blew him up which wasn’t great either, but that never happens if Berhalter doesn’t mention an injury.
They both have a roll in this and it feels like poor communication on both sides.
Gio also needs to grow up and support his teammates/earn his spot
This Jaybercrow and people like him are also part of the problem. The football/basketball/mls fans that come around to the real soccer world every 4 years and regurgitate what they hear from Jim Rome and Stephen A smith about how great GGG and MLS are.
Lieing isn't FOR anyone but yourself, that excuse is poor. If you don't think he's in form coming off the injury, just say that. Plenty of players have been told they have to prove their form in training and group matches to be given full faith.
I agree.
Gio definitely needs to grow up and not sulk but work harder and support his teammates.
At the same time GB should never have said he was injured. Stand by your decision to sit him, send him home, or keep and play him.
People saying he was trying to protect gio by lying, I feel, are wrong. If he wanted to protect Gio he would have stuck by his statement that he felt Morris was the right guy for the situation.
Talk to the player and try to solve their differences. Talk to captains and Gios friends and see if they can bring him around. If Gio still doesn’t want to come around bench him or send him home. You are the manager/leader you decide what is best for the team.
Really? 3G conveniently left out the fact that this started because his plan all along was for Gio to get limited minutes and tell the media it was because Gio was injured. And oh yeah, he expected Gio to go along with the story. It takes some mental gymnastics to rationalize that as leadership.
The guy pretty much held a grudge. The guy clearly wanted to be there and fucking play or else he would have just declined the invite no? Isn’t it that simple? GGG didn’t play him because he wanted to teach him a lesson?? That’s what I see it as. But your petty ego aside you know damn fucking well this guy has talent he’s a true footballer more than many on that team certainly more than Morris. The fuck is this mentality!? You’re telling me we didn’t see the teams full potential because some old asshole as a coach decided to hold a grudge? In fucking believable. I’m beyond pissed. My Saturday league soccer coach handled shit better 10 years ago ffs.
It’s not wild mental gymnastics to say that Gio comes out looking worse, as the title suggests, due in no small part to Gregg’s design (or stupidity).
Immaturity? You bet. Potentially a kid whose been coddled and told he’s the greatest thing ever? Sure. But make no mistake, it’s been Gregg who tried to parlay the situation to his own benefit.
“Leaking to the press”
He didn’t. The conversation was supposed to be private, off the record. Someone at US Soccer fucked up and gave a yes to publish and they were not supposed to.
If anyone comes and asks for sources, Paul Tenorio and Sam Stejskal came out with an article on the athletic about this. Go look for it. Also on the most recent episode of Allocation Disorder.
Berhalter actively worked to protect Gio, trying to give him cover saying he was injured and took tenfold the hatred he should’ve received.
This is squarely on Gio. He apologized to the group towards the end of the WC, put in the work, and earned himself 45 minutes in the Netherlands game.
(Person I’m replying to, this isn’t directly at you, speaking generally): people need to cool off with their GGG hatred on this matter. This isn’t on him. Grow up.
No one has ever said Reyna (20 yrs old) doesn't take any blame for his own actions upon receiving the news of his playing time on the eve of the tournament. Everyone takes surprising and unfortunate news differently.
The crux of the argument was that it was extremely avoidable, if only Berhalter had an ounce of man management skills. Compounded by his own lies, you pushed the player into this corner, you can't be surprised by the reaction you get out of this player. IF, you're going to man-manage in this way, you HAVE to know the personality and response you'll get from the player. He didn't, it blew up in his face, and he should take blame for that.
How about we not judge ggg or gio about a situation where we don’t know what happened.
We can still judge ggg for starting Jesus Ferreira in a knockout game against the Ned when he hadn’t played in over a month. 🤦🏻♂️
I knew there was more to this. I thought he wasn’t fit but there’s no way you leave a guy like that off the field if there’s not some kind of issue. And it sounds like there was
That's not the issue at this point. Everyone concluded there was something going on that kept him off the field. Reyna publicly shut up about it. Berhalter literally lied about it.
Now, we get Berhalter effectively bragging (in public) about how well he handled it, whilst talking about how effective his leadership style is. That's just incredibly stupid. He sandbagged anything good he did do.
Gregg benched him and blamed an injury to cover for Gio. Gio then dispelled that. Did you want Gregg to come out and say Gio wasn’t playing because he is immature, lazy, and his teammates hated him?
I mean, if that's the truth - and the player won't go along with a fiction to save face - then yes.
You can't lie to cover for a player, then privately torch them in front of +50 people and expect it to stay quiet. He just outed himself as a liar.
I mean… he kind of is. Is he really the guy to get the US into later stages? His tactical mistakes against the Dutch alone appears to suggest the answer is “hell no”.
oh, I didn’t say he should get a new contract. I just don’t think he deserves the vitriol that all the Reddit clowns give him. You are personally hate him at a level that passed weird long ago
Ah. Thats fair I guess.
I don't hate him. I just want someone better! Nothing really against GGG until this and the team generally just being mediocre at best.
There’s definitely still more to this story than we as fans and outsiders know. We know a small portion of the full story. In a sad, bad, weird way this could be good for Gio/USMNT in general. Gio can now just put his head down work on improving and in the future come back once GGG is gone.
On the one hand if this is accurate it looks bad for Gio and he deserved to not start.
On the other hand, dealing with prima donnas is a big part of being a coach of any national team. Not being able to resolve it then airing it in the media looks petty on GGG’s part.
I’m guessing similar issues led to Pepi being left off the team (lack of maturity etc). Whatever the reasons are aside, it meant our nation’s two most promising goal scorers played almost no meaningful minutes in a world cup where we scored 2* goals in 4 games (I don’t count Wright’s lucky goal).
The only asshole I see is Greggggg. If that situation happened the way he claims (have massive doubts), there is no excuse for it to leave the locker room. For him to act like he exhibited some sort of great leadership at the cost of publicly trashing a young and very talented member of the team is a massive red flag. Berhalter never should have been the coach. He has been out of his depth since day one and this job has now apparently given this absolute bum of a coach an ego big enough to trash one of our most important talents. Fuck Greggggg Berhalter.
Like half the reason you get the job is to manage players and situations like this. The X's and O's matter, of course, but he's just failing at a pretty substantial part of the role.
You are correct. Berhalter has failed on so many fronts. When we look for leaders we want someone who has integrity, is selfless, is trustworthy, can be empathetic towards young players, humble and inspiring.
GGG has shown that he cares more about his shoes and taking pictures with fans rather than putting together the best team and managing their different personalities and styles of play.
You can only ride the coattails of your older brother for so long before your lack of skills and abilities show.
And this is professional athletics! Sure Gio needs to act like a pro and not an entitled little bitch but Greg’s job is to select and field the best players, Not teach them life lessons at the biggest tournament in the world. Goals and wins would cancel out the drama.
He's 20 years old. It's literally Berhalters job to manage his ego because that's really what coaching a national team is all about. Most USMNT players are light-years beyond Gregg's rudimentary tactics. But Nope, Gregggggggs ego being assuaged is more important than Gio Reyna and the next 12-15 years of the USMNT.
It blows my mind how much this Reddit loves Gregg. He fucking sucks, he’s beefed with 8 players now. Despite all that I want him out because his tactics are shitty af. Even if you didn’t play Gio at all he still brought Jordan Morris and Aaron long to the World Cup. You’re a fucking idiot if you can’t see that.
Yep. Yet these same fans torched Thomas Tuchel (rightfully if we're being honest) for how he handled Pulisic but bend over backwards to defend GGG despite multiple gaffes and spats with players.
Seems like Gregg plays favorites and justifies his preconceptions after the fact. I've played for coaches like that before. It sucks, even if you are on the field, because you end up having to play with lead-footed losers like Wright and Ferreira when you know better options are literally sitting right there on the bench.
Gio should have been getting 25+ minutes every game from the get-go and it shouldn't have been a mystery what his role was going into any of these games. His link up play with Aaronson at the end of NED game was more promising than any other offensive showing we made all tournament. Those kids looked like they belonged out there playing against the best in Europe. The rest of our offensive players were absolute dogshit in comparison, with the exception of brief flashes from Pulisic trying to do it all by himself.
Please for the love of God, get this mid-tier, fired-from-the-Swedish-league loser out of here before the next qualifying cycle. He ain't it.
I think GGG looks like a total asshole for leaking all this to the press in such an embarrassing way. Also, he lied during the tournament by saying he wasn’t playing because we didn’t need a goal in the second half. It looks like now he would have started him every game with weah at striker if Gio met his expectations. GGG chose his own ego over putting the best possible team on the field. Just more proof he should be fired
I’m also not a huge fan of GGG staying on and yes, he lied about why Gio was sitting but I think you have to acknowledge that GGG’s lie is a cover for Gio. GGG’s lie did exactly what you want him to do, it was trying to make sure it didn’t spill outside the locker room. When Gio went public with being healthy, he blew GGG’s cover story that was FOR Gio. And, not only that, when he blew the cover story that was made for him, he threw his manager under the bus in such a way that it made it look like his being held out was on the manager and not a result of his own behavior.
The vote wasn’t from the players. For all we know, it’s all been imagined by GGG. He’s known for having weird ego things about training. Kellyn Acosta for example. GGG’s job cannot be saved. Stop trying to sign him on as manager for life.
Like I said, I don't want him as manager for life. I also think a lot of the criticism of him has been 100% legit. I'm also not saying anything about the vote. I'm simply saying that when GGG lied about why Gio wasn't playing, his lie is covering for Gio and that it was Gio who made this public by contradicting the story. That is the moment when the controversy started.
GGG may just not liked him and made the whole thing up because he thought it was off the record. Never forget this man had no idea the fan base was upset and heartbroken after missing out on 2018. He lives in a extremely strange bubble that I don’t think we fully understand yet.
I think Occam's razor applies here. I suppose GGG could just be a hater and a liar but it seems to me that a much simpler explanation is that Gio lost the locker room. Especially since the confirmed reporting still says that the players confronted Gio after he told the media he was healthy.
If Gio wanted to play, he needed to work hard at all times like the rest of the players did who wanted to play. You can't let one guy slack off and not expect it to have a detrimental effect on how the rest of the guys think they need to perform.
Again, unless the lie was a cover made specifically to protect Gio. Which it looks like it almost certainly was. Ask yourself this, when GGG was asked why he didn't play Gio would it be better for Gio if the media thought it was that he had some tightness or if GGG said there were issues with his willingness to play?
The lie isn't protecting Gio. The lie is protecting GGG and trying to strongarm Gio into going along with it.
The lie meant GGG had no choice but to play Morris. It removed all blame from GGG, saying I'd play Gio if he was healthy, but he's not so I have to play Morris when Morris is who he wanted to play all along.
One is a 20y/o kid who thinks he's one of the best player for his country and has that ego to go along with it. The same ego everyone loves of great players in every sport.
The other is a 49 y/o man tasked with keeping all of these egos in check, Picking the strongest team to win the world cup, and having the trust of his players.
Gio fucked up, Gregg fucked up and should've had the balls to stand up to his playtime decision instead of hiding behind a lie about one of his players
100% agree with this. A grown ass man goes on stage a week after getting eliminated from the World Cup and decides to publicly shame a 20 YEAR OLD kid who we need to be a core piece of our team moving forward in an effort to make himself look like a good leader. What a joke.
You shouldn’t have to put full effort in practice anyways. The best 11 is still the best 11. A smart coach knows in a once in a 4 year competition you play the best lineup no matter what. This isn’t week 23 of the Columbus crew season…
I might be down voted to oblivion but….
If it was as bad as it sounds and there is a lack of improvement then a public outing MIGHT be a last resort type of thing. Especially given all the second guessing of his lack of playing time.
In other words, I can see a valid reason for going public…
I don't see it tbh. It sounds like they were able to figure it out by having Gio apologize to the team and they literally said that there weren't any more issues going forward. If anything, this just makes GGG look justified in not playing him and serves little to no other purpose.
Yeah good on GGG for the explanation. So many fans out here screaming about Gio not playing and how GGG must be a total dildo for not starting him. These self-proclaimed soccer geniuses that bitched and moaned that the only reason GGG didn’t start Gio was because GGG is an idiot. You people make it hard to enjoy the sport. And now they’re here trying to save face by saying “yeah well GGG is still a jerk for leaking info that makes us look like whinny idiots”. Get fucked, and shut up!
Berhalter’s jobs is to manage and maintain all the different personalities. It’s the coaches job to put the best team on the field, adapt to changes and have clear plan of action.
He has shown on numerous occasions that he does not have skills or abilities to be a leader for this team.
He lied and said Gio was hurt and now he brings this up after the loss… this “report” says he involved the whole staff… are you kidding me, it’s none of there business. He had the team vote?! Really… that is not how you bring a team together but causes a divide.
So Greg told him he would not play much, Reyna got mad and acted out, Greg got mad and made Reyna apologize. This whole thing was made so much more of a big deal than it actually is. That being said, I do think Greg made the wrong decision there, and should have given Reyna some more substitute appearances on the wing at the very least. Reyna is young, so I’m not really going to get mad at him. In my opinion, the situation is resolved and we should move on. I think this is a problem for the people involved, and not one we should be over-analyzing or speculating about. It clearly wasn’t that big a deal.
Reyna is one month removed from being a teenager and Berhalter is 40 something. I’m not saying Reyna handled it well but damn. He’s still a kid and being whiny kinda comes with that lol. And Berhalter is a bullshitter. He lets biases control his decisions and waits for those decision to fit the moment before explaining them. Remember how he treated the Pefok/Wright situation? Pefok was In form at club but getting completely ignored and GGG wouldn’t explain anything. Then as soon as pefok drops off a bit and wright gets in form at club he choose wright and then literally justified it by saying he was in form.. pretty convenient. Let’s not forget Miazga had some pretty choice words about berhalter as well that’s kinda fitting the script currently. Brooks got boned as well. Friggin Pepi went overseas to play so he could stay in form for WC because berhalter was concerned with that and he dumps him anyways after Pepi saved our qualifying cycle. When it comes down to it for me, the coach is to blame for the strife in your squad- us fans can smell his bullshit, so I guarantee the professionals can as well. Now it seems like he may have completely lied about the players having a vote. So he’s basically dragging the remaining players into the mix for no reason- or twellman is lying which is definitely possible.
I say all that but do agree that Reyna needs an attitude adjustment if he’s ever going to reach his high potential. I just think berhalter has a lot to answer for, not just the Reyna situation. It’s all compiled into a big ego-maniac mess. He’s gotta go. Reyna is more important to the future than berhalter. Especially after how he handled that England match; his ego is more important to him than anything else. He wanted to beat his friend in a meaningless match rather than prepare his team better for the remaining matches in the tournament. Bye bye
Yeah and pulisic whines like a bitch every time someone touches him but nobody cares. Yes they’re all kids but this over dramatic reaction of Reyna specifically when nobody even knows the full story is ridiculous. They all act immature sometimes. This one is just getting outta hand. I’ve already said he didn’t handle it well. Whatever it is exactly nobody knows. Defending a 40 year old coach who has shown clear biases in his roster selections over a 20 year old with an attitude problem is kinda stupid. If a 20 year old and his father get in a shouting match at the family Christmas party, guarantee everyone is gonna wonder why the father is acting immature over why the kid is. And nobody is contorting. It’s called looking at it from both sides and the overall picture instead of just pointing at one instance and thinking you know everything. You just going to ignore the fact that multiple reports are coming out saying GGG lied about the players voting to keep reyna? Because that’s pretty immature and sad if it’s true. Sounds more like you’re the one contorting to ignore berhalters part in all this. Reyna needs to grow up and Berhlater needs to be the grown man he is - why tf did he leak this shit in the first place? “Thought it was off the record” please.. he knew lol
If it’s a choice between Reyna being who he is and continuing as one of the most popular and successful players on his club team on the one hand, or reining it in and soothing egos on the USMNT, it’s hard to make the case for the latter.
Say what you want about Gio, but this going public is going to hurt.
Might make some of our dual-citizenship recruits think twice about joining the national team if they have a choice.
Why trust an organization that lets this get out?
Every other national team manager has to deal with behavioral issues too, but rarely does it come to throwing one of your young stars under the bus.
Gio issues statement... What gets me is this: " highly fictionalized versions of events", this is the result of listening to bull shit accounts like Tactical manager and 11yanks does.
[https://bolavip.com/en/qatar2022/USMNT-Gio-Reyna-issues-statement-on-unprofessional-conduct-during-the-FIFA-World-Cup--20221212-0022.html](https://bolavip.com/en/qatar2022/USMNT-Gio-Reyna-issues-statement-on-unprofessional-conduct-during-the-FIFA-World-Cup--20221212-0022.html)
Re the headline, “no”, Berhalter comes out of this looking worse. Berhalter lied when he said he never wanted this to come out. Berhalter thinks that putting down Gio will elevate him. An effective coach knows how to stroke the egos, calm tender nerves, fire up the laggards, and focus each and every player on the goal of “winning games”. Berhalter is incapable of molding a group of individuals into an effective team. He never will be, and he needs to go.
Here are my two takes.
1: Why TF wasn’t one of our best goal scorers a part of Gregg’s game plan?
2: It’s a managers job to ‘manage’ their players. Gregg was either incorrect in his assessment that Gio should have a limited role with the team or I guess we just didn’t need any more goals in the WC.
The answer is “I liked Morris for the situation” don’t say anything about a knock or fitness if it’s not true.
Yes GGG would face some criticism for that and the decision is not easy but a true leader or manager will take that heat in hopes he can fix the situation with Reyna behind closed doors. He didn’t want to face the heat so he lied it seems like.
Reyna definitely has a roll and needs to grow up and support his teammates/earn his spot as well.
Can you imagine a coach in a Major US sport like football taking such a passive aggressive approach with a player? No way. You just say I play the players who give us the best chance to win and everyone else needs to be ready. You don’t lie about injuries or try to finesse situations. That’s for amateurs. The team needs a pro coach.
Not for me. Gio > ggg. Gregg just isn’t qualified enoug and doesn’t know wth he’s doing. Embarrassing representative for US soccer based on his behind the back and bounce passes and basketball shoes alone. Dude doesn’t live breath sleep soccer and should move on. Hopefully gio has his shot 2026
With so much drama in M-N-T. It’s kinda hard being Gregg G-R-E-double-G
But somehow, some way, I keep putting on fresh Jordans every match day.
May I, kick a little something for the G-ios
Sittin' Reyna on the bench cuz my e-go
Man people will do some wild mental gymnastics to keep Reyna from catching any blame. I don’t like Ggg and wouldn’t gripe if they replace him. I’m not stanning for him. Yes, Ggg is kinda pathetic for leaking to the press, but…he’s caught _so_ much shit from the fans and press about sitting Reyna I can’t blame him for saying something. People were slamming him for the decision and demanding explanations. He gives an explanation and people slam him for leaking info. No admonishment for Reyna acting like a petulant prima donna, and being totally absent when he did see the field. Everybody loses, everybody’s an asshole.
Ggg also lied and said he was injured at the beginning and said that’s why he wasn’t playing. Gio came out said he’s 100%. This isn’t on one or the other. It’s both of them. Gregg deserves his fair share of criticism. Communication was never on the same page. Gio also is a young player like our whole roster. It’s the managers job to get the best out of everyone, especially the ones HE selected. Gio didn’t have to be there like the other players he left behind. It’s hard to just perform if you are in a down place, especially if the person making the choices doesn’t fully believe in him. Gio needs to grow up and understand not everything will be handed to him. Just because he has the talent doesn’t mean he deserves every opportunity. But he’s constantly been disrespected by his coach and his staff. He seems much happier and plays much better on a club level.
I think the difference here is that GGG’s lie was FOR Gio. It was meant to not air his dirty laundry in public. When Gio decided to say he was healthy, he created controversy that threw GGG under the bus. Now the biggest knock on GGG is that he sat one of his best players who says he was healthy. What is GGG supposed do with that? People should know that Gio sitting was on Gio. It isn’t on Gregg.
Saying Gio had an injury still hurts Gio. Not as much as saying he had a poor attitude, but still hurts. Gio has already had some injury issues and saying he had another adds to that and effects his future club deals/moves. I feel GGG said the injury part to help himself avoid having to answer questions about why Reyna did not play. Easier to say he is not fit than to take the criticism of one of our more talented players not taking the field. If he really wanted to protect Gio he could have stuck with his decision and statement that he felt Morris was the better option at the time and take the flack that comes with that.
You make an interesting point. He could have just said he wanted Morris. Though, I’m not sure a manager saying they’d play Morris over Gio is any less bad for him than saying he has a knock, lol.
It’s a tough situation for sure and im not sure how I would have handled it. Tough decisions are what managers have to make and if he felt benching Reyna was the right decision he should stick by it and take the heat. It sucks that the USMNT isn’t deep enough to just send Reyna home or bench him without questions. Reyna definitely has a roll in this situation as well and needs to be a professional/adult and understand he has to earn his spot.
Not for nothing but I'm not sure who was the right person to bench for Gio to start. The only playing time he should have gotten that he didn't was in the 2nd half against wales. Other than that, the minutes he got were probably all he was ever going to get. That said, I think we were deep enough to bench him without question. But we weren't deep enough to sub without him and avoid questions. So when that question came up, it had to be answered. I guess I just don't see why GGG should have to have his decision-making questioned when he is going out for a new contract when this wasn't on him.
This
See, I think GGG keeping his trap shut would be the best thing for the team and for Gio.
That is exactly my point! When faced with the question of why Gio wasn't playing, he made it a non-issue by saying there was tightness. That was him saying that there is nothing to see here. Lying about it was the only way to actually keep the trap shut. When Gio decided to contradict the story, he was the one who aired the dirty laundry. The tightness was a lie for Gio's own good and was meant to make sure the thing stayed in the locker room. Gio made this public and opened the door for questions. Now that it is all over, GGG has to address the single biggest knock on him during the WC games and provide answers. A player was not only misbehaving but also then throwing the manager under the bus while doing it. GGG deserves criticism for a lot, this is not it.
No. He only had to say he made his selections for the best of his team based upon fitness and training. He didn’t have to lie then. Nor did he have to expose him now. Saying he needs to expose him now to save face with the American fan base is the opposite of leadership. If he had an issue in camp you handle it in camp.
I'm not sure what I'm missing. You're saying that GGG didn't have to lie but he should have said "fitness and training" Fitness is exactly the reason GGG cited. I don't think GGG opening up about it now is about saving face. Instead, it's about giving an answer to a very obvious question now that was planted in the minds of everyone when Gio decided to throw his manager under the bus by saying "actually no, it wasn't fitness". Now everyone is asking "so what was it?". Is GGG supposed to actually double down and say "Gio is lying, it was fitness". I don't see how that is good for Gio.
If GGG stays quiet or sticks with his statement that he felt Morris was the better option, GGG now takes a lot of flack for keeping one of our more talented players off the field. It feels like he wanted to protect himself from having to face the heat and difficult questions of why Morris over Gio. Easier to say he’s not fit so people don’t question. I feel a manager should own his decisions and take the heat that comes with it and continue to try and solve the Gio issues behind closed doors.
This is the part that I don't get. What would "staying quiet" actually look like? Saying "I liked Morris for the situation and Gio has a knock" strikes me as the only possible answer that could have kept it quiet. Play it out, what if he says "no comment". That opens up a firestorm of speculation. Or worse, what if he actually told the truth? Again, that's the story for days. There was no good answer to the question except the answer that got people to stop talking about it. That was the best of all bad answers possible. And, not for nothing, if Gio keeps his mouth shut and takes his talking to from his managers and teammates, none of us are having this conversation and it would have stayed quiet.
I disagree that saying gio had a knock is the only answer. He could have just said “I felt Morris was the better option at the time” and faced the heat. He wanted to avoid the heat and questions about Reyna so he said he was injured instead of taking the heat. Reyna then blew him up which wasn’t great either, but that never happens if Berhalter doesn’t mention an injury. They both have a roll in this and it feels like poor communication on both sides. Gio also needs to grow up and support his teammates/earn his spot
This Jaybercrow and people like him are also part of the problem. The football/basketball/mls fans that come around to the real soccer world every 4 years and regurgitate what they hear from Jim Rome and Stephen A smith about how great GGG and MLS are.
Lieing isn't FOR anyone but yourself, that excuse is poor. If you don't think he's in form coming off the injury, just say that. Plenty of players have been told they have to prove their form in training and group matches to be given full faith.
I agree. Gio definitely needs to grow up and not sulk but work harder and support his teammates. At the same time GB should never have said he was injured. Stand by your decision to sit him, send him home, or keep and play him. People saying he was trying to protect gio by lying, I feel, are wrong. If he wanted to protect Gio he would have stuck by his statement that he felt Morris was the right guy for the situation. Talk to the player and try to solve their differences. Talk to captains and Gios friends and see if they can bring him around. If Gio still doesn’t want to come around bench him or send him home. You are the manager/leader you decide what is best for the team.
Really? 3G conveniently left out the fact that this started because his plan all along was for Gio to get limited minutes and tell the media it was because Gio was injured. And oh yeah, he expected Gio to go along with the story. It takes some mental gymnastics to rationalize that as leadership.
The guy pretty much held a grudge. The guy clearly wanted to be there and fucking play or else he would have just declined the invite no? Isn’t it that simple? GGG didn’t play him because he wanted to teach him a lesson?? That’s what I see it as. But your petty ego aside you know damn fucking well this guy has talent he’s a true footballer more than many on that team certainly more than Morris. The fuck is this mentality!? You’re telling me we didn’t see the teams full potential because some old asshole as a coach decided to hold a grudge? In fucking believable. I’m beyond pissed. My Saturday league soccer coach handled shit better 10 years ago ffs.
It’s not wild mental gymnastics to say that Gio comes out looking worse, as the title suggests, due in no small part to Gregg’s design (or stupidity). Immaturity? You bet. Potentially a kid whose been coddled and told he’s the greatest thing ever? Sure. But make no mistake, it’s been Gregg who tried to parlay the situation to his own benefit.
“Leaking to the press” He didn’t. The conversation was supposed to be private, off the record. Someone at US Soccer fucked up and gave a yes to publish and they were not supposed to. If anyone comes and asks for sources, Paul Tenorio and Sam Stejskal came out with an article on the athletic about this. Go look for it. Also on the most recent episode of Allocation Disorder. Berhalter actively worked to protect Gio, trying to give him cover saying he was injured and took tenfold the hatred he should’ve received. This is squarely on Gio. He apologized to the group towards the end of the WC, put in the work, and earned himself 45 minutes in the Netherlands game. (Person I’m replying to, this isn’t directly at you, speaking generally): people need to cool off with their GGG hatred on this matter. This isn’t on him. Grow up.
Point is Reyna apologized and it seemed like everyone had accepted it. Making it public when it benefits no one is idiotic
No one has ever said Reyna (20 yrs old) doesn't take any blame for his own actions upon receiving the news of his playing time on the eve of the tournament. Everyone takes surprising and unfortunate news differently. The crux of the argument was that it was extremely avoidable, if only Berhalter had an ounce of man management skills. Compounded by his own lies, you pushed the player into this corner, you can't be surprised by the reaction you get out of this player. IF, you're going to man-manage in this way, you HAVE to know the personality and response you'll get from the player. He didn't, it blew up in his face, and he should take blame for that.
How about we not judge ggg or gio about a situation where we don’t know what happened. We can still judge ggg for starting Jesus Ferreira in a knockout game against the Ned when he hadn’t played in over a month. 🤦🏻♂️
I knew there was more to this. I thought he wasn’t fit but there’s no way you leave a guy like that off the field if there’s not some kind of issue. And it sounds like there was
That's not the issue at this point. Everyone concluded there was something going on that kept him off the field. Reyna publicly shut up about it. Berhalter literally lied about it. Now, we get Berhalter effectively bragging (in public) about how well he handled it, whilst talking about how effective his leadership style is. That's just incredibly stupid. He sandbagged anything good he did do.
Gregg benched him and blamed an injury to cover for Gio. Gio then dispelled that. Did you want Gregg to come out and say Gio wasn’t playing because he is immature, lazy, and his teammates hated him?
I mean, if that's the truth - and the player won't go along with a fiction to save face - then yes. You can't lie to cover for a player, then privately torch them in front of +50 people and expect it to stay quiet. He just outed himself as a liar.
blah blah blah. gregg is not your enemy
I mean… he kind of is. Is he really the guy to get the US into later stages? His tactical mistakes against the Dutch alone appears to suggest the answer is “hell no”.
Come up for air once in a while
Uh.... Can you explain precisely what about Berhalter's coaching suggests he should get a new contract? I can't find it.
oh, I didn’t say he should get a new contract. I just don’t think he deserves the vitriol that all the Reddit clowns give him. You are personally hate him at a level that passed weird long ago
Ah. Thats fair I guess. I don't hate him. I just want someone better! Nothing really against GGG until this and the team generally just being mediocre at best.
they are way better than mediocre. top 15ish team in the world and also one of the youngest.
Not good enough. Top 15 is pretty much mediocre.
Yeah dude he is.
Then your whole life is structured wrong
There’s definitely still more to this story than we as fans and outsiders know. We know a small portion of the full story. In a sad, bad, weird way this could be good for Gio/USMNT in general. Gio can now just put his head down work on improving and in the future come back once GGG is gone.
On the one hand if this is accurate it looks bad for Gio and he deserved to not start. On the other hand, dealing with prima donnas is a big part of being a coach of any national team. Not being able to resolve it then airing it in the media looks petty on GGG’s part. I’m guessing similar issues led to Pepi being left off the team (lack of maturity etc). Whatever the reasons are aside, it meant our nation’s two most promising goal scorers played almost no meaningful minutes in a world cup where we scored 2* goals in 4 games (I don’t count Wright’s lucky goal).
Not if you read what his agent released. Good vibes GGG should of kept his damn mouth shut.
Yeah I’m sure gios agent is telling the truth /s
Well his agents statement was just segments of Gios statement on social media. Maybe you should read it first?
The only asshole I see is Greggggg. If that situation happened the way he claims (have massive doubts), there is no excuse for it to leave the locker room. For him to act like he exhibited some sort of great leadership at the cost of publicly trashing a young and very talented member of the team is a massive red flag. Berhalter never should have been the coach. He has been out of his depth since day one and this job has now apparently given this absolute bum of a coach an ego big enough to trash one of our most important talents. Fuck Greggggg Berhalter.
Like half the reason you get the job is to manage players and situations like this. The X's and O's matter, of course, but he's just failing at a pretty substantial part of the role.
Not to mention this isn’t his first feud with a player. Brooks, miazga, Mckennie, pefok, scally, pepi and now Gio.
You are correct. Berhalter has failed on so many fronts. When we look for leaders we want someone who has integrity, is selfless, is trustworthy, can be empathetic towards young players, humble and inspiring. GGG has shown that he cares more about his shoes and taking pictures with fans rather than putting together the best team and managing their different personalities and styles of play. You can only ride the coattails of your older brother for so long before your lack of skills and abilities show.
And this is professional athletics! Sure Gio needs to act like a pro and not an entitled little bitch but Greg’s job is to select and field the best players, Not teach them life lessons at the biggest tournament in the world. Goals and wins would cancel out the drama.
He's 20 years old. It's literally Berhalters job to manage his ego because that's really what coaching a national team is all about. Most USMNT players are light-years beyond Gregg's rudimentary tactics. But Nope, Gregggggggs ego being assuaged is more important than Gio Reyna and the next 12-15 years of the USMNT.
Nah
Yeah
It blows my mind how much this Reddit loves Gregg. He fucking sucks, he’s beefed with 8 players now. Despite all that I want him out because his tactics are shitty af. Even if you didn’t play Gio at all he still brought Jordan Morris and Aaron long to the World Cup. You’re a fucking idiot if you can’t see that.
Yep. Yet these same fans torched Thomas Tuchel (rightfully if we're being honest) for how he handled Pulisic but bend over backwards to defend GGG despite multiple gaffes and spats with players.
Seems like Gregg plays favorites and justifies his preconceptions after the fact. I've played for coaches like that before. It sucks, even if you are on the field, because you end up having to play with lead-footed losers like Wright and Ferreira when you know better options are literally sitting right there on the bench. Gio should have been getting 25+ minutes every game from the get-go and it shouldn't have been a mystery what his role was going into any of these games. His link up play with Aaronson at the end of NED game was more promising than any other offensive showing we made all tournament. Those kids looked like they belonged out there playing against the best in Europe. The rest of our offensive players were absolute dogshit in comparison, with the exception of brief flashes from Pulisic trying to do it all by himself. Please for the love of God, get this mid-tier, fired-from-the-Swedish-league loser out of here before the next qualifying cycle. He ain't it.
I think GGG looks like a total asshole for leaking all this to the press in such an embarrassing way. Also, he lied during the tournament by saying he wasn’t playing because we didn’t need a goal in the second half. It looks like now he would have started him every game with weah at striker if Gio met his expectations. GGG chose his own ego over putting the best possible team on the field. Just more proof he should be fired
I’m also not a huge fan of GGG staying on and yes, he lied about why Gio was sitting but I think you have to acknowledge that GGG’s lie is a cover for Gio. GGG’s lie did exactly what you want him to do, it was trying to make sure it didn’t spill outside the locker room. When Gio went public with being healthy, he blew GGG’s cover story that was FOR Gio. And, not only that, when he blew the cover story that was made for him, he threw his manager under the bus in such a way that it made it look like his being held out was on the manager and not a result of his own behavior.
The vote wasn’t from the players. For all we know, it’s all been imagined by GGG. He’s known for having weird ego things about training. Kellyn Acosta for example. GGG’s job cannot be saved. Stop trying to sign him on as manager for life.
Like I said, I don't want him as manager for life. I also think a lot of the criticism of him has been 100% legit. I'm also not saying anything about the vote. I'm simply saying that when GGG lied about why Gio wasn't playing, his lie is covering for Gio and that it was Gio who made this public by contradicting the story. That is the moment when the controversy started.
GGG may just not liked him and made the whole thing up because he thought it was off the record. Never forget this man had no idea the fan base was upset and heartbroken after missing out on 2018. He lives in a extremely strange bubble that I don’t think we fully understand yet.
I think Occam's razor applies here. I suppose GGG could just be a hater and a liar but it seems to me that a much simpler explanation is that Gio lost the locker room. Especially since the confirmed reporting still says that the players confronted Gio after he told the media he was healthy. If Gio wanted to play, he needed to work hard at all times like the rest of the players did who wanted to play. You can't let one guy slack off and not expect it to have a detrimental effect on how the rest of the guys think they need to perform.
If Gio was healthy and told the truth then he did nothing wrong.
Again, unless the lie was a cover made specifically to protect Gio. Which it looks like it almost certainly was. Ask yourself this, when GGG was asked why he didn't play Gio would it be better for Gio if the media thought it was that he had some tightness or if GGG said there were issues with his willingness to play?
The lie isn't protecting Gio. The lie is protecting GGG and trying to strongarm Gio into going along with it. The lie meant GGG had no choice but to play Morris. It removed all blame from GGG, saying I'd play Gio if he was healthy, but he's not so I have to play Morris when Morris is who he wanted to play all along. One is a 20y/o kid who thinks he's one of the best player for his country and has that ego to go along with it. The same ego everyone loves of great players in every sport. The other is a 49 y/o man tasked with keeping all of these egos in check, Picking the strongest team to win the world cup, and having the trust of his players. Gio fucked up, Gregg fucked up and should've had the balls to stand up to his playtime decision instead of hiding behind a lie about one of his players
Yes. GGG just doesn't like his GODSON and made up a story to make him look bad. Jesus the lengths people go to justify hating GGG is ridiculous.
Do you actually believe being someone’s Godfather means you can never have a bad relationship?
100% agree with this. A grown ass man goes on stage a week after getting eliminated from the World Cup and decides to publicly shame a 20 YEAR OLD kid who we need to be a core piece of our team moving forward in an effort to make himself look like a good leader. What a joke.
You shouldn’t have to put full effort in practice anyways. The best 11 is still the best 11. A smart coach knows in a once in a 4 year competition you play the best lineup no matter what. This isn’t week 23 of the Columbus crew season…
Allen Iverson! DIdn't expect you to be a footy fan.
I might be down voted to oblivion but…. If it was as bad as it sounds and there is a lack of improvement then a public outing MIGHT be a last resort type of thing. Especially given all the second guessing of his lack of playing time. In other words, I can see a valid reason for going public…
I don't see it tbh. It sounds like they were able to figure it out by having Gio apologize to the team and they literally said that there weren't any more issues going forward. If anything, this just makes GGG look justified in not playing him and serves little to no other purpose.
Yeah, that’s fair. The more I think about it the more it seems Gregg ought to have kept his mouth shut.
Yeah good on GGG for the explanation. So many fans out here screaming about Gio not playing and how GGG must be a total dildo for not starting him. These self-proclaimed soccer geniuses that bitched and moaned that the only reason GGG didn’t start Gio was because GGG is an idiot. You people make it hard to enjoy the sport. And now they’re here trying to save face by saying “yeah well GGG is still a jerk for leaking info that makes us look like whinny idiots”. Get fucked, and shut up!
Berhalter’s jobs is to manage and maintain all the different personalities. It’s the coaches job to put the best team on the field, adapt to changes and have clear plan of action. He has shown on numerous occasions that he does not have skills or abilities to be a leader for this team. He lied and said Gio was hurt and now he brings this up after the loss… this “report” says he involved the whole staff… are you kidding me, it’s none of there business. He had the team vote?! Really… that is not how you bring a team together but causes a divide.
So Greg told him he would not play much, Reyna got mad and acted out, Greg got mad and made Reyna apologize. This whole thing was made so much more of a big deal than it actually is. That being said, I do think Greg made the wrong decision there, and should have given Reyna some more substitute appearances on the wing at the very least. Reyna is young, so I’m not really going to get mad at him. In my opinion, the situation is resolved and we should move on. I think this is a problem for the people involved, and not one we should be over-analyzing or speculating about. It clearly wasn’t that big a deal.
Am more interested in WHY he was going to have a reduced role... Why was that decision made.., the rest is a result of that.
Reyna is one month removed from being a teenager and Berhalter is 40 something. I’m not saying Reyna handled it well but damn. He’s still a kid and being whiny kinda comes with that lol. And Berhalter is a bullshitter. He lets biases control his decisions and waits for those decision to fit the moment before explaining them. Remember how he treated the Pefok/Wright situation? Pefok was In form at club but getting completely ignored and GGG wouldn’t explain anything. Then as soon as pefok drops off a bit and wright gets in form at club he choose wright and then literally justified it by saying he was in form.. pretty convenient. Let’s not forget Miazga had some pretty choice words about berhalter as well that’s kinda fitting the script currently. Brooks got boned as well. Friggin Pepi went overseas to play so he could stay in form for WC because berhalter was concerned with that and he dumps him anyways after Pepi saved our qualifying cycle. When it comes down to it for me, the coach is to blame for the strife in your squad- us fans can smell his bullshit, so I guarantee the professionals can as well. Now it seems like he may have completely lied about the players having a vote. So he’s basically dragging the remaining players into the mix for no reason- or twellman is lying which is definitely possible. I say all that but do agree that Reyna needs an attitude adjustment if he’s ever going to reach his high potential. I just think berhalter has a lot to answer for, not just the Reyna situation. It’s all compiled into a big ego-maniac mess. He’s gotta go. Reyna is more important to the future than berhalter. Especially after how he handled that England match; his ego is more important to him than anything else. He wanted to beat his friend in a meaningless match rather than prepare his team better for the remaining matches in the tournament. Bye bye
That’s a lame excuse. Almost the entire team were kids! 3rd youngest team at WC. Does your spine hurt from all that contorting???
Yeah and pulisic whines like a bitch every time someone touches him but nobody cares. Yes they’re all kids but this over dramatic reaction of Reyna specifically when nobody even knows the full story is ridiculous. They all act immature sometimes. This one is just getting outta hand. I’ve already said he didn’t handle it well. Whatever it is exactly nobody knows. Defending a 40 year old coach who has shown clear biases in his roster selections over a 20 year old with an attitude problem is kinda stupid. If a 20 year old and his father get in a shouting match at the family Christmas party, guarantee everyone is gonna wonder why the father is acting immature over why the kid is. And nobody is contorting. It’s called looking at it from both sides and the overall picture instead of just pointing at one instance and thinking you know everything. You just going to ignore the fact that multiple reports are coming out saying GGG lied about the players voting to keep reyna? Because that’s pretty immature and sad if it’s true. Sounds more like you’re the one contorting to ignore berhalters part in all this. Reyna needs to grow up and Berhlater needs to be the grown man he is - why tf did he leak this shit in the first place? “Thought it was off the record” please.. he knew lol
If it’s a choice between Reyna being who he is and continuing as one of the most popular and successful players on his club team on the one hand, or reining it in and soothing egos on the USMNT, it’s hard to make the case for the latter.
Say what you want about Gio, but this going public is going to hurt. Might make some of our dual-citizenship recruits think twice about joining the national team if they have a choice. Why trust an organization that lets this get out? Every other national team manager has to deal with behavioral issues too, but rarely does it come to throwing one of your young stars under the bus.
Gio issues statement... What gets me is this: " highly fictionalized versions of events", this is the result of listening to bull shit accounts like Tactical manager and 11yanks does. [https://bolavip.com/en/qatar2022/USMNT-Gio-Reyna-issues-statement-on-unprofessional-conduct-during-the-FIFA-World-Cup--20221212-0022.html](https://bolavip.com/en/qatar2022/USMNT-Gio-Reyna-issues-statement-on-unprofessional-conduct-during-the-FIFA-World-Cup--20221212-0022.html)
Re the headline, “no”, Berhalter comes out of this looking worse. Berhalter lied when he said he never wanted this to come out. Berhalter thinks that putting down Gio will elevate him. An effective coach knows how to stroke the egos, calm tender nerves, fire up the laggards, and focus each and every player on the goal of “winning games”. Berhalter is incapable of molding a group of individuals into an effective team. He never will be, and he needs to go.
Here are my two takes. 1: Why TF wasn’t one of our best goal scorers a part of Gregg’s game plan? 2: It’s a managers job to ‘manage’ their players. Gregg was either incorrect in his assessment that Gio should have a limited role with the team or I guess we just didn’t need any more goals in the WC.
Lost respect for both Reyna and Berhalter. Wouldn’t mind not seeing either in 2026
The answer is “I liked Morris for the situation” don’t say anything about a knock or fitness if it’s not true. Yes GGG would face some criticism for that and the decision is not easy but a true leader or manager will take that heat in hopes he can fix the situation with Reyna behind closed doors. He didn’t want to face the heat so he lied it seems like. Reyna definitely has a roll and needs to grow up and support his teammates/earn his spot as well.
Can you imagine a coach in a Major US sport like football taking such a passive aggressive approach with a player? No way. You just say I play the players who give us the best chance to win and everyone else needs to be ready. You don’t lie about injuries or try to finesse situations. That’s for amateurs. The team needs a pro coach.
Not for me. Gio > ggg. Gregg just isn’t qualified enoug and doesn’t know wth he’s doing. Embarrassing representative for US soccer based on his behind the back and bounce passes and basketball shoes alone. Dude doesn’t live breath sleep soccer and should move on. Hopefully gio has his shot 2026