There’s battle lines being drawn
Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong
–“For What It’s Worth”, Buffalo Springfield
It’s been said before, but it bears repeating that nobody will win this p***ing match between the Reynas and the Berhalters.
Former US National Team player and current BBC World Football podcast pundit Heather O’Reilly said it was a ‘sad, pathetic day for US Soccer’ on the weekly podcast.
“To bring up old dirty laundry 30 years in the making is just something else in my opinion,” said O’Reilly. “I would never condone violence or domestic violence, but this was 31 years ago, this was an incident that was reconciled – they [Berhalter and wife Rosalind] have a successful marriage of 25 years.”
At worst, it looks like soccer parents gone wild because the coach treated their child badly and to bring up an incident involving the coach from 31 years ago and apparently has since been reconciled, is frankly low. It obviously does not condone what Berhalter did back then, but this was an obviously cynical ploy to get back at Berhalter for the lack of playing time Gio Reyna received at the World Cup. That said, fairly or unfairly, any sort or domestic violence–no matter when it occurred–is seriously frowned upon nowadays.
Beyond that, there are the two customary questions that US Soccer should be asked in regards to their investigation and those are ‘What did they know?’ and ‘When did they know it?’
The information was given to US Soccer on December 11th and only on Tuesday was an investigation revealed. We share Roger Bennett’s call for transparency and clarity in this investigation. Of course, this is probably the last thing among several last things for US Soccer who is still reeling from the Yates Report and a joint investigation revealing systemic abuse in the National Women’s Soccer League. Despite the USA’s performance at the World Cup in Qatar, it’s been more down than up at 18th and Prairie in Chicago.
(As an aside from the Chicago area, I do actively wonder what is in the water or atmosphere that causes the Fire, Red Stars, and US Soccer to suffer bouts of incompetence and mismanagement and wish to see if there is a solution to clean that up so things would get better.)
It’s an unnecessary, and in some ways a self-inflicted, headache for US Soccer as they now have to deal with this p***ing match between the Reynas and Berhalters. It is bad enough that this 1991 incident was brought out into the open. No one wants an unsavory moment from their past be brought out into the public forum which, if we’re being honest, now a bit more toxic with the presence of social media. People taking sides in this will be inevitable. And then there are the potential costs of all of this.
Gio Reyna may end up paying residuals for the conduct of his parents and his work ethic and commitment will come under more scrutiny wherever he goes. Claudio Reyna just may have burned bridges with US Soccer and one has to wonder if that will affect his employment at Austin FC.
Gregg Berhalter’s contract with US Soccer expired last Saturday. There is a technical review ongoing. There are arguments for him to continue and arguments to find someone better who can lead the US Men’s National Team through the 2026 World Cup and help them realize their full potential. After this event, will Berhalter actually want to stay on if offered to continue?
Both Berhalter and Reyna were teammates on the national team as was current technical director Earnie Stewart. One has to wonder how former teammates of theirs make of all of this.
There can be no winners in this. It goes without saying that better leaders need to be in place in many areas concerning the sport in this country; just as the investigation need to be transparent, clear, and honest. It makes you ask one final question: For what is this all worth?
