IRVINE, Calif. — Gio Reyna capped the U.S. men’s national team’s 4-1 victory over Paraguay with an “outside-of-the-boot, swerving” strike — a so-called “trivela” that arrived at SoFi Stadium on Friday night.
The moment felt like an emphatic end to a difficult four-year stretch that began with a disappointing 2022 World Cup and included family controversies, the public dispute with former coach Gregg Berhalter and recurring health and playing-time problems at Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach.
U.S. manager Maurico Pochettino placed Reyna on the World Cup roster because of his “unique talent,” calling him a “special situation,” and teammates say those qualities show regularly in training. “We see stuff from him like that every day,” said Christian Pulisic, “so it’s not a crazy surprise. I told him he deserves it.”
Reyna has said he believes he has matured since Qatar, noting the difference between being a 19-year-old at the 2022 World Cup and a 23-year-old at a home World Cup “with a wife and a baby on the way.” After the goal, Reyna pantomimed a pregnant belly by putting the ball under his jersey and also sucked on his thumb as a reveal of his impending parenthood. “I was waiting for the perfect time [to announce it] and this sort of felt like it,” he said.
Reyna also acknowledged family pressure to be more assertive and to take more shots. “I know I have a good shot, but in my position, I look to pass first,” he said. “And they want me to be a little more selfish at times.” Teammates and the coaching staff are presenting the goal as evidence of a player they hope is entering a new phase.
