CHESTER, Pa. - To say Gio Reyna is under pressure is putting it lightly. Everyone knows what’s at stake for him, especially after so long on the sidelines. He needed a moment this camp - something that showed why he could, and maybe should, be at the World Cup next summer. It took four minutes for him to deliver it. His opening goal was the moment of the match on Saturday, but it wasn’t the only one as he helped lead the U.S. to a 2-1 win over Paraguay at Subaru Park.
Reyna's goal came early and, for the oft-discussed midfielder, it surely felt good. Played in by a Max Arfsten cross, Reyna made no mistake with his header, smashing it off the crossbar and in to set a tone for both himself and his team.
Paraguay, however, fired right back, taking advantage of a USMNT breakdown to equalize at one apiece in the 10th minute. Alex Arce, the 30-year-old veteran, provided the finishing touch of a Miguel Almiron assist, one that came as a result of several defensive mishaps on the U.S. side. From there, though, the U.S. settled down before, ultimately, getting their winning goal late on from a familiar goalscorer: Folarin Balogun.
Reyna was once again involved, although he won't technically be credited with an assist. His ball in, though, deflected off a defender and straight to Balogun, who made no mistake in netting his third goal in as many starts for the U.S.
Another win for the U.S., then, who are now unbeaten in four. They've won three of those four and, despite having an obviously weakened lineup, Saturday was the latest of those three. The big story isn't the result, though; it's Reyna, who changed the game on Saturday and offered a reminder that he might just be a player who can change games when they matter more next summer.
GOAL rates the USMNT's players from Subaru Park...


