USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter says relationship with Gio Reyna 'in much better spot' ahead of Copa America

Head coach and talented playmaker butted heads during and after the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar. There were suggestions at the time that Reyna came close to being sent home from that tournament, before his family became involved in a war of words with Berhalter regarding personal matters off the field.

Questions were asked of how prominently Reyna would figure for his country when Berhalter was brought back for a second spell at the helm – especially as he has struggled for club form at Borussia Dortmund and during a Premier League loan at Nottingham Forest.

Berhalter is, however, adamant that any issues between the pair have been addressed, telling reporters when asked about a sometimes strained relationship: “We both used this time productively, to start to rebuild, to repair the relationship where we gain trust with each other again. It did take time, but the relationship is in a much better spot.”

The USMNT are preparing for a busy summer that includes Copa America and Olympic Games competition, with there suggestions that Reyna could be one of those to figure in both squads. There are, however, a number of factors to take into account there – with an event in Paris not being FIFA recognised – and Berhalter said of discussions that need to take place between himself, club teams and Olympic coach Marko Mitrovic: “It’s a lot of information to triangulate over a short period of time.”

The United States will get their Copa campaign – which is set to play out on home soil – underway when facing Bolivia on June 23, with the likes of Argentina and Brazil set to provide serious competition for a prestigious continental crown.