Pochettino views Reyna as `special player,' recalls him to US team despite limited club playing time

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Saying five times that Gio Reyna is “special,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino called in the 22-year-old midfielder for November friendlies despite his limited club playing time in Germany.

Pochettino said Thursday he made the decision “to give the motivation to arrive with the possibility and and the belief that he can compete for a for a place in the World Cup.”

Christian Pulisic, sidelined since hurting a hamstring in an Oct. 14 friendly against Australia, will miss the matches even though he could return to the field for AC Milan's Serie A game at Parma on Saturday.

Midfielder Weston McKennie and goalkeeper Matt Turner also were among the notable omissions from the 25-man roster.

Forward Ricardo Pepi, midfielder Tyler Adams and defenders Joe Scally, John Tolkin and Auston Trusty are back with the 16th-ranked U.S. for the games against No. 39 Paraguay on Nov. 15 at Chester, Pennsylvania, and 15th-ranked Uruguay three days later at Tampa, Florida.

Pochettino said his goal is to have players arrive at the World Cup “like animals and feel really strong.”

Reyna, a son of former captain Claudio Reyna, was nearly sent home from the 2022 World Cup by then coach Gregg Berhalter for alleged lack of effort in training, causing Reyna's parents to contact the U.S. Soccer Federation about a three-decades-old domestic violence allegation involving Berhalter and the woman who later became his wife. A USSF investigation concluded Berhalter did not improperly withhold information.

Reyna will be in camp alongside Berhalter's son Sebastian, a midfielder who debuted for the U.S. in June. Reyna has played for the Americans only once since the 2024 Copa America, appearing as a 69th-minute substitute in the CONCACAF Nations League third-place match loss to Canada. Slowed by a thigh injury following his transfer to Borussia Mönchengladbach, he has been limited to one start and four substitute appearances in the Bundesliga.

Pochettino had repeatedly said playing time with clubs impacts whether players should be called in for national team games.

“He has enormous, enormous talent and it’s true that he’s not playing too much but I think it’s a good opportunity in November,” Pochettino said. “We need to understand that sometimes some players struggle to play but can be important for us. That is why. It is not contradictory, my message."

Pulisic, an attacking midfielder, is the top American player. He drew criticism for skipping the CONCACAF Gold Cup last summer to rest his body ahead of the European season and the World Cup. Pochettino said he was left off the latest roster “to provide him the the possibility to recover 100%.”

Pepi and Trusty are back with the team for the first time since Pochettino's second camp in November. Scally, like Reyna, has not been with the group since the Nations League final four. Adams missed the October games because his wife was due to give birth.

In addition to Pulisic, others missing the matches because they are hurt or recovering from injuries include defenders Cameron Carter-Vickers (Achilles) and Antonee Robinson (knee), winger Tim Weah (thigh), midfielders Malik Tillman (thigh) and Johnny Cardoso (ankle), forward Alejandro Zendejas (knee), and goalkeeper Chris Brady (lower body).

Robinson had knee surgery on May 27 and hasn't played a Premier League match for Fulham this season.

“We are worried, of course, I think because he is now for a long period, that cannot play,” Pochettino said.

McKennie was left off to allow him training time with his new coach at Juventus, while Turner hasn't played since New England's Major League Soccer season finale on Oct. 18. Pochettino did pick a pair of MLS players whose teams were eliminated from the playoffs on Oct. 22, defender Alex Freeman and midfielder Diego Luna.

Chris Richards, a regular starter at central defender, was left off; Crystal Palace coach Oliver Glasner has said he was disappointed the U.S. used Richards last month despite a calf ailment.

“Milan or Palace, they are not right to complain," Pochettino said. “We are the first that care and we never meant to play a player with some doubt.”

He said clubs expressing frustration with the U.S. national team “makes me feel very disappointed because I am very respectful with all the coaches."

Also dropped were midfielder James Sands and forward Patrick Agyemang.

Others on the roster after missing the October games include goalkeepers Roman Celentano and Jonathan Klinsmann, right back Sergiño Dest, and midfielder Sean Zawadzki. Celentano and Klinsmann are the only two players on the roster who have not made U.S. debuts.

Pochettino's team will play a pair of March friendlies, then report in late May ahead of its World Cup opener on June 12.

The roster:

Goalkeepers: Roman Celentano (Cincinnati), Matt Freese (New York City), Jonathan Klinsmann (Cesena), Patrick Schulte (Columbus)

Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Orlando), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte), Miles Robinson (Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach), John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel), Auston Trusty (Celtic)

Midfielders: Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle), Tanner Tessmann (Lyon), Sean Zawadzki (Columbus)

Forwards: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds), Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake;), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Haji Wright (Coventry)

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