Mauricio Pochettino says 'special' Gio Reyna deserves USMNT roster spot

Gio Reyna has done very little at the club level to warrant a place on the U.S. men's national team March roster, but that didn't stop Mauricio Pochettino from calling the midfielder up. The USMNT head coach made an exception for the talented but frustrating Reyna, who has exactly 26 minutes of playing time with Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2026. Reyna has failed to see the field in eight straight league matches for Gladbach – five because of a muscle injury and the last three as an unused substitute. But the 23-year-old made a major impression during the USMNT's most recent pair of matches, scoring in a 2-1 win over Paraguay and grabbing an assist in a 5-1 victory over Uruguay back in November. "I think Gio was fantastic in November with us," Pochettino told reporters on Tuesday, March 17, after naming his roster for friendlies against Belgium and Portugal. "I think everyone praised him in his game against Paraguay, and then in the way that he was involved and committed with the team." It was those performances, and Reyna's tendency to raise his game with the USMNT, that convinced Pochettino to hand one of his 27 roster spots to a player with just over 1,600 minutes of total playing time across the past three seasons. "Before the last decision for the last roster for the World Cup, I think it's good to see players that maybe are not playing too much, like in that case of Gio," Pochettino said. "But that is a very talented player, and we know how he can add to the national team. "And he is capable to perform with us. Again, I think we really know that he's a very special talent and very special player. And I think to give the possibility, even if he's not playing too much in his club, he can be very useful for us." Reyna has 34 caps with the USMNT since making his debut in 2020 amid an auspicious start to his club career with Borussia Dortmund. After he burst onto the scene as a teenager, injuries and coach's decisions have stalled Reyna's club progress in recent years. But he's remained effective with the USMNT when available, earning the Golden Ball as the best player in the USMNT's victorious 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League campaign. The USMNT will face Belgium on March 28 at 3:30 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and will then take on Portugal on March 31 at 7 p.m. at the same venue.