'It's complicated' - Gio Reyna’s agent responds to reports that Berhalter considered sending USMNT star home from World Cup

• Dortmund star struggled for minutes in Qatar
• Head coach considered cutting one player
• Representative wants end to discussion

WHAT HAPPENED? United States head coach Gregg Berhalter has revealed that he considered cutting an underperforming player from his squad in Qatar after seeing said individual fail to live up to expectations. There have been claims that 20-year-old Reyna was the man in question, as he saw limited game time in the Middle East, with the youngster enduring a frustrating time at his first major international tournament.

WHAT THEY SAID: Segal has stopped short of confirming that Reyna was the player threatened with a World Cup axing, but has told The Athletic: “Gio obviously did not have the experience anyone hoped for at the World Cup. The situation, relationships and interactions among parties are far more complicated than what has been reported. It is disappointing and disrespectful for certain parties to be commenting on private team matters publicly, especially when some do so without full knowledge of the facts and others do so in a self-serving manner. At this point, our view is that nothing more is gained by those associated with the national team turning on each other, and we plan no further comment on this matter.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Reyna made just two substitute appearances for the USMNT at the 2022 World Cup, with those outings seeing him take in only 52 minutes of game time.

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WHAT NEXT? The United States bowed out of 2022 World Cup in the round of 16, following a 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands, and the expectation is that Reyna will have a leading role to play for them heading forward despite failing to make the desired impact in Qatar.