USA Needs Gio Reyna Today
Gio Reyna of The United States (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
The US Men’s National Team takes on Iran in the biggest match since the 2014 knockout stage loss to Belgium. The US has had some positives to hang their hat on through 180 minutes plus stoppage time, a lot of stoppage time. The midfield held up well against England and Wales. The defense has not allowed a goal outside of a Free Kick. The attack is still leaving a lot to be desired. Christian Pulisic and Timonthy Weah have been good on the wings. But there has been a lack of creativity plaguing the USMNT for a while. I think the USA needs Gio Reyna today. He has the creativity to draw a penalty, find a through ball, or finish in a tight spot. I think we need to use him as a false 9.
The Midfield
The midfield has been the best part of the USMNT, and that shouldn’t surprise anyone who watching the team regularly. Tyler Adams-Weston McKinnie, and Yunus Musah play well as a 3-man midfield. I don’t want to mess that up. By moving Reyna to striker, you can keep your 3-man midfield that has played well together, while getting Reyna’s creativity and quality on the field.
The US Needs to Win the Game
Iran is going to sit back. A draw will get the Iranians through. The US needs to win the game. We’ve scored 1 goal in our first 2 games of the World Cup. We scored 0 in our last 2 warmup games coming into Qatar. Something needs to change with Greg Berhalter’s setup. Gio Reyna can create in the middle of the field, take attention away from Pulisic and Weah, and finish in front of goal. There have been some reports that Berhalter and Reyna don’t see eye to eye off the field. If that’s the case, Greg Berhalter needs to put personal feelings aside and get Reyna in the starting 11. The USA needs Gio Reyna today if we want our 2022 World Cup to live past November 29th.
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World Cup Teams and the NFL Equivalent
The World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world. There will be around 1 billion people watching the Final on December 18th. But it is not the biggest event in America. That belongs to our football and the Super Bowl. The NFL is king in this country, and there is no doubt about it. Nearly every sports fan knows the NFL and has a general idea of what the teams in the league are all about. So I’m going to give you the World Cup teams and the NFL equivalent. Root for the team that you want to root for in the World Cup. America, Mexico, England, Germany, and Canada all have large fan bases in this country. But if you’re looking for another team to follow, it could be fun to follow the team closest to your NFL team.
I tried to find an exact comparison for all of the teams, but it didn’t always work out perfectly. The fact is the NFL has much more parity than the FIFA World Cup. So I looked at overall talent of the roster, the history of the country, and where they stand on a global or league wide look. There are many story lines around this World Cup- both on and off the field. On the field the biggest story line is the final (most likely) tournament for Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Two of the all-time greats, and the best players in the generation by a wide margin. Off the field there are human rights accusations on many levels. That’s not for us. Here are the World Cup teams and the NFL equivalent.
Chris has been on ESPN Soutwest Florida in one way or another dating back to 2010. As a Southwest Florida native, Chris understands what's important to the locals. He is a huge football fan; both professional and college. Although he has a special place for the Miami Dolphins and the entire SEC. He is also very into golf, both playing it locally and covering it on a global scale. Sports are supposed to be fun, and Chris likes to reflect that in the way he covers it. Chris writes about sports news and opinions.