2022 USMNT Thread

[djcon57]

Aside from blackmail, which is still officially only on his wife, as the source of the info to US Soccer. But the article says they were both (Danielle and Claudio) "on the call" when this information was discovered, according to the ESPN article. So, that was probably the call from the P.I.

I'm confused, though, because in a subsequent statement, Danielle alleges that Berhalter's wife told him all this when they were on the USWNT as roommates. Well, that would be at least several years after the incident, which happened in high school, according to ESPN.

It seems that Claudio, aside from the PR offensive during the early days of the WC, also was privately texting Brian McBride and Earnie Stewart (the Boss at US Soccer) and threatening to "take him down" with their explosive info.

While the Reyna's might be in damage control right now, I think they are the losers in this situation, and they are going to be substantially lighter in the pocket when this is over.

I read it as the wives were college teammates and very close friends, not that they tried to dig up dirt...they just knew the dirt.

VERY scummy stuff by the Reynas.

 

[KaiserUEO]

This is extortion and blackmail.

The Reynas will be arrested.

 

[IthacaMatt]

This quote from mommy dearest is a beaut and takes you into her (air) head space.

Danielle Reyna said in a statement on Wednesday: "I thought it was especially unfair that Gio, who had apologized for acting immaturely about his playing time, was still being dragged through the mud when Gregg had asked for and received forgiveness for doing something so much worse at the same age."

What does that have to do with anything ! Is this AYSO orange wedge soccer Saturday?

Mrs. Reyna should (1) hire a PR firm that specializes in crisis management, (2) hire a defense lawyer, because all the elements of blackmail are already out there in the coverage, and (3) just stop talking already. You aren't on Real Housewives.

They may not realize it for a couple days, but they are going to have to pay Gregg Berhalter, and especially his wife, a lot of money to avoid criminal charges. They have publicly humiliated her, 30 years after the fact, to try to benefit their son. Have you no self-awareness at all?

 

[IthacaMatt]

so she held on to this info for all this time and when her son throws a hissy and doesnt get to play she throws it out there?

I think that's an "adjustment to the story" after the fact. And it's still slander, even if it's not blackmail.

The ESPN article said they first heard the evidence on a phone call with someone from US soccer.

That sounds like a private investigator to me. So there's an intentional act.

Multiple sources have confirmed Claudio Reyna tweeting ("publication") about "taking Berhalter down" to Earnie Stewart, Brian McBride ("with actual malice" intending to harm the victim), and obviously Eric Wynalda, who first ran the story (more publication) about the supposed split in the US camp about how half the players couldn't believe Gio wasn't playing.

You don't first discover the story if you knew it when you were room mates on the national team.

But I'm calling BS on the cover-up recollection story, because, it didn't happen when she played for the national team, it was when she was in high school, probably as a junior, because they didn't date for 7 months after it happened. She still went to college for 4 years before she ever played for the national team.

And from Mrs. Berhalter's point of view, would you tell this story 5 years later, appropos of nothing about your husband? It's not something you'd be proud of, so why would you share this story years later to your room mate on the national team. It's not like they were room mates who lived together in real life. It was for a couple weeks at a time, when the national team ordinarily meets.

Their families were friends. Why would you do that?

 

[Forza Azzurri]

Screw Gio. It's Forza's gain. Doesn't he have Italian citizenship, too?

LOL...No idea...In all seriousness, Reyna would never sniff the Italian national team where harmony of the group is prized above all else.

 

[IthacaMatt]

LOL...No idea...In all seriousness, Reyna would never sniff the Italian national team where harmony of the group is prized above all else.

No slight intended toward you by that, BTW. LOL
I think he was born in Italy when Claudio was playing there.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I think that's an "adjustment to the story" after the fact. And it's still slander, even if it's not blackmail.

The ESPN article said they first heard the evidence on a phone call with someone from US soccer.

That sounds like a private investigator to me. So there's an intentional act.

Multiple sources have confirmed Claudio Reyna tweeting ("publication") about "taking Berhalter down" to Earnie Stewart, Brian McBride ("with actual malice" intending to harm the victim), and obviously Eric Wynalda, who first ran the story (more publication) about the supposed split in the US camp about how half the players couldn't believe Gio wasn't playing.

You don't first discover the story if you knew it when you were room mates on the national team.

But I'm calling BS on the cover-up recollection story, because, it didn't happen when she played for the national team, it was when she was in high school, probably as a junior, because they didn't date for 7 months after it happened. She still went to college for 4 years before she ever played for the national team.

And from Mrs. Berhalter's point of view, would you tell this story 5 years later, appropos of nothing about your husband? It's not something you'd be proud of, so why would you share this story years later to your room mate on the national team. It's not like they were room mates who lived together in real life. It was for a couple weeks at a time, when the national team ordinarily meets.

Their families were friends. Why would you do that?

P.S. - Edit (sort of). I read in another article that they were also roommates in college. But in her statement, Mrs. Reyna said "when they were roommates on the national team".

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

P.S. - Edit (sort of). I read in another article that they were also roommates in college. But in her statement, Mrs. Reyna said "when they were roommates on the national team".

Berhalter and Claudio Reyna go back to High School together. Their wives go back to college together. This wasn't something they just stumbled upon. Hell, the "Reynas" might have even been around when it happened?

It can't be defamation as what they allegedly "published" is true.

I don't know the legalities of blackmail.

Whatever. It's ugly stuff; churlish, entitled, etc.

 

[JDubbin]

It was notable that Reyna wasn't getting playing time at the World Cup when it wasn't due to injury... I was certainly calling for him situationally, then we found out about the attitude & training/lack of effort issues. Never thought it would escalate to this. I know Gio is already considered a prima donna, but can you imagine being in his shoes as an adult to have your salty-@$$ parents leveraging personal relationship knowledge to insert themselves into a situation which may ruin your national team career, while throwing a long standing family friend under the bus who happens to be the coach?!

Can't wait for this 30 for 30 to drop!

 

[IthacaMatt]

Sports Illustrated with a piece on this situation today. Brings a couple new tidbits. The investigation was done by a law firm. And they also talk about how the recent allegations of abuse toward the female national team members and their lack of protection from the national organization provides a backdrop to all of this. I think Berhalter has to move abroad. Even though his wife forgave him 30 years ago, this is going to be a #MeToo moment, and it's never going to end in the US media for him.

https://www.si.com/soccer/2023/01/05/berhalter-reyna-usmnt-manager-feud-chaos

 

[IthacaMatt]

Berhalter and Claudio Reyna go back to High School together. Their wives go back to college together. This wasn't something they just stumbled upon. Hell, the "Reynas" might have even been around when it happened?

It can't be defamation as what they allegedly "published" is true.

I don't know the legalities of blackmail.

Whatever. It's ugly stuff; churlish, entitled, etc.

That's not completely true anymore.

The U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals, in a groundbreaking decision favoring private libel plaintiffs, has held that even a true statement – if published “maliciously” – can subject the speaker to libel damages.

 

[OrangeFoo]

This is too much drama for a two bit program with two bit leaders, two bit coaches and for the most part two bit players. The fact that Berhalter was the coach is in itself complete garbage because his freaking brother was the president of USSF at that time.

They need to blow the whole thing up and find people with no ties to US soccer.

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

That's not completely true anymore.

The U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals, in a groundbreaking decision favoring private libel plaintiffs, has held that even a true statement – if published “maliciously” – can subject the speaker to libel damages.

Not doubting you, but that’s dumb. I’ll try to look it up.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Not doubting you, but that’s dumb. I’ll try to look it up.

I think the question is, "is the content contemporary or newsworthy". Public figures, after all, are open to a lot of stuff being written about them. But this was a private matter that was clearly dredged up for bad purposes, to blackmail the coach into playing their kid.

Just from a smell test (via Twitter, the vast majority are pounding the Reynas, and only the woke few are complaining about the Berhalters), I think they could get into court. They intentionally destroyed the guy's US career for a vindictive purpose to try to gain favorable treatment for their son. An intentional tort of some sort was certainly committed.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Oh, boy! Gregg Berhalter just released a statement.

"What Claudio won't tell you is that he had a part in the incident. I caught him with my wife that night. We've despised each other ever since."

OH SNAP!

 

[NineOneSeven]

Oh, boy! Gregg Berhalter just released a statement.

"What Claudio won't tell you is that he had a part in the incident. I caught him with my wife that night. We've despised each other ever since."

OH SNAP!

YESSSSSSSS

 

[IthacaMatt]

Gio Reyna. This is who he is.

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

Gio Reyna. This is who he is.

I’m starting to think the Reynas Reinas are trying to blackmail you!

 

[IthacaMatt]

I’m starting to think the Reynas Reinas are trying to blackmail you!

Forgive my spelling, if it's wrong. (It's not.)
Heck of a family.

 

[OrangeFoo]

Forgive my spelling, if it's wrong.
Heck of a family.

Pepe reina was a very good goal keeper for Liverpool for many years

 

[IthacaMatt]

So, USMNT decides to go big, if only to change the press narrative. They offered Zinedine Zadane the job. They got a quick "no" in response. But maybe the nepotism will end.

Zinedine Zidane reportedly turning down USMNT approach could be a promising sign to coaching search

Being spurned by Zidane might not be such a bad thing

www.cbssports.com

 

[kirbivore]

This is too much drama for a two bit program with two bit leaders, two bit coaches and for the most part two bit players. The fact that Berhalter was the coach is in itself complete garbage because his freaking brother was the president of USSF at that time.

They need to blow the whole thing up and find people with no ties to US soccer.

Unfortunate the way it happened but the end result of Berhalter not coaching anymore is a net positive.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Unfortunate the way it happened but the end result of Berhalter not coaching anymore is a net positive.

And one would hope that this would end the rubber-stamp nepotism and self-dealing cadre that runs US soccer.

 

[OrangeFoo]

And one would hope that this would end the rubber-stamp nepotism and self-dealing cadre that runs US soccer.

It's not clear to me that this mean's that Berhalter won't be rehired. He's out of contract and could easily get re-upped once this fiasco with the Reyna's is a bit more distant. USSF is so bad that I can easily see them going back to Gregg because a lack of "better" candidates... remember these are the same buffoons who were requiring the coach to live in Chicago and only speak English.

 

[IthacaMatt]

It's not clear to me that this mean's that Berhalter won't be rehired. He's out of contract and could easily get re-upped once this fiasco with the Reyna's is a bit more distant. USSF is so bad that I can easily see them going back to Gregg because a lack of "better" candidates... remember these are the same buffoons who were requiring the coach to live in Chicago and only speak English.

Well, as a fan, I think it's a bad idea, because now the whole under-current of trying to grow the sport in the US is going to be dominated by #MeToo-ism and talk of personal matters to this couple that never should have been public. That's going to DOMINATE the coverage, for at least a year. Does the US really need this, when we're hosting the next World Cup? Protesters might love to have Berhalter to kick around, but any person in PR will tell you to tear off the band aid and move on to someone else without all the baggage.

If you work for US Soccer, you want a clean start. You already have a problem with sexism from having the women play on artificial turf instead of grass, lawsuits about equal pay when the women have substantially outperformed the men, you have allegations of abuse and sexual harassment / assault of some of the female players. Geez, do they want to emulate the US women's gymnastics program, or an elite European program?

The PR howitzer of saying "we approached ZIdane" was clearly a "look over here!" moment, to distract. It was not a serious approach at all. It was desperate and clownish, in its own way. Now, let's grow up, let's go recruit another Jurgen Klinsmann type, someone with international pedigree, but probably somebody from South America, who have sent more and more players to MLS, just like they have been sending players to Europe for the last 20-30 years.

Can you believe we could have had Julen Lopetegui in 2018 instead of Berhalter? He's coached Porto, Sevilla, Real Madrid and the Spain national team. That's EXACTLY the kind of coach we should be looking for in the lead up to 2026. Not another .500 coach from MLS who has relatives on the hiring committee.

P.S. - Roberto Martinez might have been another good choice, but he just got snatched up by Portugal, I believe.