Gio Reyna criticized for shirt swap with Luis Suarez after USMNT's Copa America campaign ends with defeat to Uruguay

The United States saw their 2024 Copa America campaign brought to a disappointing conclusion when facing Uruguay at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. A 1-0 defeat, which featured some questionable refereeing decisions, condemned Gregg Berhalter’s side to an early group stage exit.

Reyna, who is heading back to Borussia Dortmund following a forgettable Premier League loan spell at Nottingham Forest, played the full 90 minutes against Uruguay without making a telling contribution. While frustrated at the final whistle, the 21-year-old still made a point of chasing down an iconic rival.

Former Barcelona star Suarez, who now plays alongside Lionel Messi at MLS side Inter Miami, stepped off the bench for Uruguay in the 89th minute. Sports journalist Andy Larsen posted on social media of seeing Reyna make a beeline for the 37-year-old striker: “Gio Reyna going over to ask Luis Suarez for his jersey after that loss is so inexcusable. What used to make the USMNT overachievers was that every guy on the team gave his all... I think a few guys are much more concerned about the wrong stuff.”

He added: “For years players have been criticized for shirt swapping after particularly bad or important losses. I don't want Reyna to be wishing Suarez a good game after his 9 minutes on the pitch.”

The USMNT are facing plenty of difficult questions after fluffing collective lines on home soil. Their Copa campaign got off to a bright start when opening with a comfortable win over Bolivia, but poor performances against Panama and Uruguay have cost them a place in the quarter-finals.