USA Midfielder Giovanni Reyna Nearly Sent Home from World Cup

According to ESPN.com, United States midfielder Giovanni Reyna was nearly sent home from the World Cup due to a lack of intensity in training and a pre-tournament scrimmage against Al Gharafa SC.

Reyna, who was expected to be a key contributor, played just eight minutes in the group stage and the entire second half of USA’s Round of 16 loss to the Netherlands.

“We were ready to book a plane ticket home. That’s how extreme it was,” said USA manager Gregg Berhalter at a leadership event. “And what it came down to was, we’re going to have one more conversation with him, and part of the conversation was how we’re going to behave from here out. There aren’t going to be any more infractions.”

Reyna’s agent has since responded, calling the situation “complicated” and criticizing Berhalter for making private team matters public.

FanDuel Sportsbook currently has France as odds-on World Cup favorites at +115.