USA coach Berhalter: 'Work to do' on Gio Reyna relationship - ESPN

LAS VEGAS — Reappointed U.S. men's national team coach Gregg Berhalter admitted «there's work to do» in terms of repairing his relationship with midfielder Gio Reyna.

The relationship between Berhalter and the Reyna family was at the heart of a messy affair that led to Berhalter's contract being allowed to expire at the end of 2022. With Berhalter officially reassuming his post on Friday, one of his most important tasks will be rebuilding the connection with Reyna, who remains one of the most talented players on the U.S. roster.

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«I'd certainly acknowledge that there's work to do, and Gio is an important player to this team,» Berhalter said at a news conference. «He's an extremely talented individual, and I have the obligation and the commitment to coach him like I coach every other player, and I want to get the best out of him.

»We want to get the best out of him, and we know that if we can unlock his talents, he's going to be a game changer for this program. So there's work to do, and part of it is working together with [sporting director] Matt [Crocker] and trying to rebuild a relationship that we know will be important moving forward."

Speaking at a leadership conference after the 2022 World Cup, Berhalter recounted how he nearly sent an unnamed player — later identified as Reyna — home for poor behavior.

This drew an angry response from Reyna's parents, Danielle and Claudio, both former U.S. internationals, who informed then-USSF sporting director Earnie Stewart of a domestic violence incident involving Berhalter and his now-wife Rosalind when the two were in college.

An investigation followed, with the USSF accepting Berhalter's explanation and steps he took to