The Gio Reyna bet is paying off at World Cup for Pochettino, USA

SANTA CLARA, Ca. — No one is the same person at 23 as they were at 19. No one will be the same person at 30 as they were at 23.

It’s how growing up works. The experiences you have, the ups and downs of life, shape you. Change you. Make you see the world, and how you move through it, differently. It’s true of everyone.

It’s true of Gio Reyna.

The midfielder still has the same thunderous talent he did when he made his first World Cup, four years ago in Qatar. But his life, personal and professional, is vastly different.

The 23-year-old is married, and he and wife Chloe are expecting their first child. He is still playing professionally in Germany, but his rocket-like trajectory has gone off course. While he’d love to be starting for the U.S. men’s national team at this tournament — anyone who says differently has no business being here — he is simply grateful for coach Mauricio Pochettino’s faith in him and eager to repay it any way he can.

“The relationship I have with Mauricio, for the trust and the value he's put in me, I can't thank him enough,” Reyna told USA TODAY Sports. “Whenever I get the minutes or whenever I get the chance to play, I’m going to give it my all — for him, of course, and for this team and for this country.”

Moving past the drama

This isn’t a coded message for anyone. Reyna’s immaturity at the last World Cup, which almost got him sent home and led to an ugly incident by his parents that (briefly) cost then-coach Gregg Berhalter his job, is firmly in the past. He made amends with his teammates, and he and Berhalter made their peace.

This is about a one-time phenom regaining his footing.

The anticipation for Reyna was Christian Pulisic-esque. His father Claudio had played for the USMNT in four World Cups, and was the first American to captain a European club when he was at Wolfsburg. His mother Danielle had played at North Carolina and, briefly, for the USWNT.

The younger Reyna was just 17 when he signed with Borussia Dortmund, and he broke Pulisic’s record as the youngest American to play in the Bundesliga when he made his debut Jan. 18, 2020. He scored his first goal 17 days later.

Later that month, he had the assist on Erling Haaland’s game-winner in the Champions League.

Reyna would set multiple scoring and assist records the rest of that year, often breaking marks held by Pulisic. He made his USMNT debut in November 2020, and scored his first international goal in his second game.

Injuries slow career

But Reyna missed much of the 2021-22 season with injuries and has struggled to stay healthy since then. Even when he is healthy, he's seen his minutes dwindle. Last season, with Mönchengladbach, Reyna started just four times in 19 appearances, scoring one goal.

“I think everybody wants to play, whether it's under-12 or professional,” Reyna said. “You work so hard, and of course all you want to do is really be on the field on the weekends.”

Instead of pouting, Reyna focused on getting his body right. When he was able to train, he gave full effort.

While it was frustrating to still be on the outside looking in at his club, Pochettino had Reyna's back.

Pochettino kept Reyna with USMNT

Even with Reyna not getting consistent playing time at Gladbach, Pochettino continued to call him up. He’s an “amazing talent," Pochettino said after selecting Reyna for the World Cup roster, and could contribute to the USMNT in ways others could not.

“He can help because he's a different player, different talent, you know?” Pochettino said.

Reyna backed up Pochettino's words in the opener against Paraguay, when he scored a wonder of a goal after coming off the bench.

Using the outside of his right foot, he flicked the ball past the outstretched hand of Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill. The trivela was Reyna’s first goal at the World Cup

“Maybe it's the atmosphere. Maybe it's feeling very comfortable, feeling trust from the coach. Maybe it’s being really close with the guys on the team,” Reyna said of his comfort with the USMNT.

“I think when I've gotten the chance to play, I've done pretty well recently, whether it's been as a sub or starting,” he said. "It's just really nice to go to work here every day with this team. Not saying it's not nice to go with my club team, but it's just a special atmosphere here.”

Reyna, USMNT showing more maturity

Much of this team has been together for several years now. Half of the 26-man roster was on the Qatar team, and several others were in the mix for that squad. Their bonds have tightened and their trust has deepened these last four years, which combines to fuel their confidence.

The USMNT head into the knockout rounds as group winners for the first time since 2010. They won two of their three group-stage games for the first time, and their eight goals already is one more than the previous USMNT record for the entire tournament.

"Maybe against the Netherlands last tournament, we had a belief that we could beat them, but deep down, I think maybe we all thought it was going to be a very, very challenging task to do that," Reyna said, referring to the USMNT's loss to the Dutch in the first knockout round.

“Where now I think in this moment, in the form we're in and the chemistry we have and just the whole atmosphere here, I think we believe we can really go toe to toe with anybody,” Reyna said. “We just have to keep riding that momentum and keep working with each other and enjoying the time. And then we believe we can do good things together.”

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.