The USMNT is eliminated from the 2022 World Cup after a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands in the round of 16.
U.S. Soccer launched an investigation into men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter in December, and it was reportedly prompted by messages from one of Berhalter’s teammates.
Claudio Reyna, a former USMNT captain and the father of USMNT forward Gio Reyna, sent messages to U.S. Soccer executives during the World Cup threatening to divulge sensitive information from Berhalter’s past, ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle and Kyle Bonagura reported, citing sources. Claudio and his wife, Danielle, informed U.S. soccer of a past domestic incident involving Berhalter in a call on Dec. 11, after Gio was informed of his limited World Cup role, Carlisle and Bonagura reported.
Gio Reyna appeared in just two of the USMNT’s four matches in Qatar. Berhalter revealed that a player “was clearly not meeting expectations on and off the field” and that he and his staff considered sending the player home. He did not name Gio Reyna individually, but the player confirmed it in an Instagram post after Berhalter’s comments went public.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
Berhalter released a statement on Tuesday claiming that an individual reached out to U.S. Soccer with “information about me that would ‘take me down.’” He then admitted to kicking his future wife, Rosalind, in an incident over 30 years ago and said the authorities were never involved. The two have been married for 25 years and have four children together.
Shortly after Berhalter released his statement, U.S. Soccer posted a statement of its own saying it had launched an investigation into Berhalter and a technical review of the men’s national team program.
Sports
Get today's sports news out of Los Angeles. Here's the latest on the Dodgers, Lakers, Angels, Kings, Galaxy, LAFC, USC, UCLA and more LA teams.
Berhalter’s contract with the USMNT expired on Dec. 31. Anthony Hudson will coach the United States men’s soccer team rather than Berhalter ahead of the first two matches of the cycle leading to the 2026 World Cup.
Claudio Reyna and Berhalter were both members of the USMNT from 1994 to 2006 and played high school soccer together. Danielle Reyna and Rosalind Berhalter played four seasons of soccer together at the University of North Carolina.
Claudio Reyna is currently the sporting director for Austin FC.
