IF YOU WERE TO ask just about anyone at Christmas, after the dust had settled on the World Cup, what the year was like for the men’s side of American soccer – both the national team and beyond – most would have said it was a very good year. Think about this:

• The United States ended the cycle as the Gold Cup and Nations League Champions.
• The United States ended its long-standing drought of Olympic qualifying failure and clinched a spot in the 2024 Olympics.
• There is growing evidence that the United States will be involved in the 2024 Copa America without crippling “guest team restrictions.”
• The Seattle Sounders became the first American team in the modern era of the CONCACAF Champions League to win the trophy to become kings of CONCACAF.
• Americans abroad – particularly in Europe – continue to surge in numbers in the continent’s top five leagues.
• 2022 MLS Cup was arguably the best game in league history, and it launched momentum heading into 2023 – the first of Apple TV’s $2 billion deal.   
• The United States lifted the stigma of failing to qualify for Russia 2018 and qualified for Qatar 2022.
• The United States advanced out of its group with five points – and no losses – from group play while playing England to a tough draw. It lost to a Dutch team where, unlike the knockout loss to Belgium in 2014, the Americans went at the Dutch before losing to a better team.

All things considered, you would have been hard pressed to say that 2022 was a bad year. The only blemishes on the field were a failure to beat the Netherlands (which would have been a groundbreaking upset) and then maybe ending the World Cup qualifying droughts to win in San Jose or Azteca.

Following the World Cup, we had the unravelling of Gio Reyna incident. He didn’t play much in Qatar but he also didn’t play much the past 15 months for Borussia Dortmund (nine starts over that span). He didn’t start because the competition in his three best positions was also very good – Yunus Musah, Tim Weah, and Christian Pulisic.

But then we learned about Reyna behaving poorly after he was told he would have a “very limited role” – a term that needs clarification. But whatever the situation surrounding Reyna, it seemed to resolve itself in Qatar. His minutes increased by the knockout stages.

Then came Berhalter’s subsequent statements at a leadership conference on December 11, which were erroneously publicized under the expectation of it being off the record. There he said Reyna’s behavior was so poor that he nearly sent him home at one point. Reyna’s rebuttal wasn’t even that hard hitting where he said he apologized and wished the matter stayed behind closed doors.

Still, at this point it seemed like a story that would eventually blow over. Reyna was hardly the first player upset over his role on a World Cup team, he acted poorly, apologized, but things were normal by the team’s last game. A few quotes got out that shouldn’t have, but still – nothing groundbreaking and nothing that couldn’t be easily fixed.  

All that has changed.

How we got here

Turn the corner to 2023, the first five days of the New Year have blown everything up.

• We are learning about a sad and inexcusable incident in 1991 between Gregg Berhalter and his girlfriend Rosalind (now his wife of 25 yerars) where he kicked her outside a bar following an argument. They separated but reconciled seven months later. This was acknowledged by the couple in a statement released on Tuesday.
• Then we learned U.S. Soccer launched an investigation into the matter (as is the norm for matters of domestic violence)
• Then, Berhalter alleged that the revelation of the incident was due to threats aimed to “take him down” and bring an end to his relationship with U.S. Soccer.
• U.S. Soccer expanded its investigation to cover the alleged threats.  U.S. Soccer hired the powerful law firm Alston & Bird to conduct the investigation and promised to release the report publicly.
• Danielle Reyna, mother of Gio, issued a statement saying she was frustrated with Gio’s lack of playing time and that after the December 11 leadership conference’s leak of Berhalter’s statements, she called Earnie Stewart and revealed the 1991 incident. She also said it was never a threat. Claudio Reyna subsequently issued a statement that he supported his wife and had discussions with Brian McBride and Earnie Stewart in Qatar over Gio’s role but never threatened anyone.
• On Wednesday, ESPN reported that “multiple sources told ESPN he threatened to share allegations about Berhalter's past, but Reyna has denied those allegations.”

Here are a few more thoughts on the developing matter

This mess – in perspective

So here we are. A solid 2022 has turned into a chaotic mess in 2023. On Wednesday, U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone, CEO & Secretary General JT Batson and Sporting Director Earnie Stewart held a media call to discuss the matter. Having the call before the release of the Alston & Bird report should have indicated not much was going to be revealed in this call. That turned out to be the case.

“Obviously, this is not a positive time for soccer in this country and for our men’s national team,” Cone said on the call.

The story is obviously ugly – and potentially big, depending on what the Alston & Bird report reveals. But it is also important to make a firm distinction between the status of the team on the field and these off the field incidents.

For one, U.S. Soccer on the men’s side in the modern era has been in far worse shape than it is now. Consider the following:

• The 1998 last-place finish at the World Cup (including a embarrassing 2-1 loss to Iran) ended the momentum of hosting the 1994 World Cup and it came at a vulnerable time when the necessary interest in soccer among the American public was still very much hanging in the balance.
• The failure of the 2006 World Cup saw the program shut down for six months in a failed effort to land Jurgen Klinsmann as its head coach. It was a blessing in disguise as Klinsmann was not a good coach, but it was a public failure that was perceived very poorly. It wasn’t until the 2007 Gold Cup and 2009 Confederations Cup when confidence was restored in the team.
• Finally, there was the failed World Cup qualifying campaign in 2017 – which was the team’s biggest embarrassment to date.

Each of these moments had the men’s team in far worse shape than this current saga. What is going on now is a high-level drama with potential legal and organizational policy ramifications. But the U.S. national team will soon begin a new cycle that will build off the positive momentum from a previous cycle. Sure, we don’t know the head coach yet, but we know most of the players who will be central to the team – as all were part of the team in Qatar and are maturing into their prime years. This will soon be a distant memory when real games begin again.

Key questions for Alston & Bird

The Alston & Bird report is going to be huge in bringing clarity to this saga. This report should reveal key facts and put them into perspective for any possible legal ramifications. But here are the things to watch:

Claudio Reyna’s contact with U.S. Soccer during the World Cup: The timeline and the nature of Claudio Reyna’s discussions with U.S. Soccer during the World Cup is the biggest issue. The ESPN revelation that the elder Reyna threatened to release the 1991 information is huge. Reyna denied threats but admitted he spoke with Stewart and U.S. national team GM Brian McBride during the World Cup.

“While in Qatar, I shared my frustrations about my son's World Cup experience with a number of close friends, Earnie and Brian McBride among them. However, at no time did I ever threaten anyone, nor would I ever do so," Reyna said in a statement released on Wednesday.

This is the biggest issue for Alston & Bird to address. There is a huge discrepancy in the ESPN report and Reyna’s statement. If Reyna threatened to release the information as ESPN suggests, was it done in a manner to improve his son’s playing time or hurt Berhalter’s standing within the federation? That’s a huge question and one that is vastly important legally.

Also, of note – has anything like this ever happened before involving the Reyna family speaking with U.S. Soccer about their son’s role with either the U.S. team or any youth team?

Stewart and McBride’s conduct: While it is true that both McBride and Stewart have known Claudio for several decades as former teammates, should they have been speaking to Claudio at the World Cup about Gio’s playing time? Gio’s role is an internal matter to U.S. Soccer and Claudio is not on the inside anymore. He is a soccer parent, and lines are typically drawn between parents and coaches. Should Stewart and McBride have allowed the elder Reyna access to upper management within U.S. Soccer while in a tense and pivotal time such as the World Cup? This isn’t necessarily legal, but these could be facts that dictate future policy within the U.S. team as many former top players and coaches now have sons emerging as key prospects.

Again, it also comes down to access. A lot of players are disappointed with their role on a team. There are 11 starters for every game and 15 players on the bench. It could lead to tough situations if parents of players at the senior level who are disappointed with their role are given access to the top levels of the team. This is especially true if the disappointed parent has a strong connection with members of the organization.

Also, if ESPN is correct that threats from Reyna were made in Qatar – was there a responsibility for Stewart to investigate or act then? Did U.S. Soccer act at that point - if what ESPN reported was accurate?

Danielle Reyna’s communication: Danielle Reyna’s statement on Wednesday was important. With it being carefully prepared, it is also to be viewed skeptically by Alston & Bird. There are some murky details. The investigation needs to question why she decided to reveal the information she has known for three decades at that point. Claudio was supportive of Berhalter getting the job in 2018. Did she connect with Stewart with the intent of affecting Berhalter’s employment or future employment with U.S. Soccer? A finding of the intent and the nature of the conversation is important.  

At the senior national team level, why wasn’t Gio Reyna – as the player involved - having this call with Stewart to vent frustration over the December 11 incident? Why was Danielle? Did she really expect nothing to come from revealing the information to Stewart? Having parents overly involved at the youth levels is hard enough. At the senior level? It becomes more unusual.

Other’s involved: Between the four statements from Gregg Berhalter, and both Reyna parents, and U.S. Soccer we know many of the relevant parties. Rosalind Berhalter, Gregg Berhalter, Gio Reyna, Claudio Reyna, Danielle Reyna, Earnie Stewart, and Brian McBride have all been mentioned.

But in U.S. Soccer’s statement, it mentions investigating potential inappropriate behavior towards “multiple members of our staff by individuals outside of our organization.” Was there anyone else inside the organization involved? Was there anyone else outside the organization involved? A clear timeline, a listing of all those involved, and the nature/intent of all communications needs to be clarified.

Berhalter’s hiring: The initial scope of the Alston & Bird investigation was domestic violence in 1991 by Gregg Berhalter towards Rosalind Santana (now Rosalind Berhalter). Authorities were not contacted following the incident, so it would not have turned up in any background check. But with Gregg’s brother Jay Berhalter involved in the hiring of Gregg Berhalter, did Jay know about the incident? Was Gregg asked about it during the interview process?  Did it come up? Should it have come up?

Even in today’s climate, this incident probably won’t be deemed terribly relevant by itself. By all accounts, it was a one-time matter that the parties addressed themselves and successfully moved on. But if it played a role in disclosure requests during the hiring process, that is different.

Thoughts on the Status quo

These entire series of events is sad and hopefully will be used to improve U.S. Soccer and provide accountability. As mentioned, so many facts remain in dispute and until the Alston & Bird report, we will hold off.

But for now, it’s worth pondering on where we are on several different relevant.

For one, does this affect Berhalter’s potential to return as the U.S. national team coach? He isn’t going to be the coach for January as U.S. Soccer conducts its review of the entire cycle – a normal procedure that is on a different timeline due to a November/December World Cup. But if U.S. Soccer deems the past cycle to be a success, how much does this drama affect Berhalter’s standing to return? The 1991 incident is one thing, but there is no evidence of inappropriate behavior from him during the four-year cycle. But if this incident was not disclosed during the 2018 hiring process when it should have been, it could play a role in Berhalter’s future.

Second, how will U.S. Soccer handle Claudio Reyna and Danielle Reyna? It is easy to see why they could be considered a handful far beyond other parents – and they are far from the only parents of players who are connected to the high levels of the sport (Tim Weah, Jesus Ferreira – with more coming at the youth levels).  Will U.S. Soccer limit their involvement to be in attendance, be around the team, or to have contact with members of the organization? The Alston & Bird findings will likely dictate if action needs to be taken – or not.

Third, how is Gio Reyna’s eventual return to the U.S. national team going to be perceived? If Berhalter is the manager, it’s going to take a lot of behind-the-scenes meetings to make things smooth prior to the first camp. But even if it is someone else coaching the team, there are still going to be issues such as his involvement with teammates and with Stewart and McBride (if he is retained). Also, how will his teammates view him if they know the propensity for his parents to be pulling strings or attempting to influence the coaches? It's a line that is bad enough at the youth level. 

Fourth, how will Claudio Reyna’s role at Austin FC be affected? He is the sporting director but the owner, Anthony Precourt, was a public supporter of Gregg Berhalter when he coached the Crew under Precourt. The head coach of Austin FC is Josh Wolff has said he’s a friend of Berhalter. Wolff worked for Berhalter as a USMNT assistant coach and Crew assistant. The two were teammates on the U.S. national team and at 1860 Munich. Berhalter is held in high regard by key members of Austin FC’s organization. How does Reyna deal with that? If he moves on, how does he find future employment?

The entire saga is sad. The friendship between Claudio Reyna and Gregg Berhalter goes back to when both were high school teammates at St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, NJ. It continued onto them being teammates on the national team for groundbreaking achievements such as the 1995 Copa America semifinal run in Uruguay (with a 3-0 win over Argentina with Maradona watching) and the 2002 World Cup quarterfinal run. Reyna became one of the first Americans to prominently feature in the UEFA Champions League. Berhalter went on to captain multiple European teams – a first for an American player.

Now it ends with alleged threats, public airing of personal dirty laundry, and the tainting of what should have been a celebrated year for American soccer.