A retrospective on Claudio Reyna

pettyfog · Jul 1, 2006

End of an era

Claudio Reyna deserved better.

The U.S. national team's captain and best player deserved to have the chance to end his career with the latest in a string of stellar World Cup performances but instead was forced to limp off the field having committed a tremendous error.

Reyna didn't deserve that ending, but as we have learned this month, all is fair in love, war and World Cups. Reyna accepted his fate in the U.S. team's 2-1 loss against Ghana, and after trying for 15 minutes to keep playing despite a sprained medial collateral ligament, he left the field for the last time in a national team uniform.

How will he be remembered? That all depends on whom you ask. Ask coaches and players associated with the national team, or members of the foreign media, and all will say the same thing. Reyna brings a level of skill to the field no American before him had. He was the perfect calming force to lead a generation of overzealous youngsters.

Then there is the group of Reyna's critics who have spent the better part of a decade bashing him for everything he wasn't. He wasn't a goal scorer. He wasn't a true playmaker. He didn't defend enough. He wasn't someone who would make the average spectator excited.

In the final analysis, the only thing Reyna was ever guilty of was not being Superman, failing to be some highlight-reel filling, goal-scoring machine. He was supposed to be the United States' best player, yet he didn't dazzle you the way a Zinedine Zidane did or a Ronaldo did or a Ronaldinho did. For some people, it was simply unacceptable that our best player was more Clark Kent than Superman.
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- Ives Galarcep

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HatterDon · Jul 1, 2006

He's the best outfield player ever to put on the USA jersey, in my very humble opinion. It's going to be hard if not impossible to replace him.

Spencer · Jul 2, 2006

Yesterday during FRA-Brazil FSC showed US-England from Wembley in 1994. Claudio had way to much hair back then! I only saw bits and pieces as the other match on was of more conscequence.
But there was some great stuff. Lalas and Shearer were going at it for a while. It makes me wonder if are current players are really more skilled and talented than those guys.

Lalas and Balboa in their day were pretty damn good. Players like Earnie Stewart, Cobi Jones, Tomas Dooley, Friedel all looked pretty good. The broadcast talked about how Cobi had just signed with Converty City in the 1st division. Times change.

Most striking the players didn't back down. It was a hostile crowd, booing the national anthem and stuff. I guess England didn't attract the best members of society back in 94 :shock: They went down 2-0 in the first half but held it there. They didn't seem at all intimidated or flustered. Lalas getting in a shouting match with Shearer kinda summed it up for me. The guys on the current squad should take notes. Get some heart and grit.

Forum	Title	Date
Prem talk, Those Other Leagues, and International	Claudio Reyna Movie - Show your support	Apr 1, 2007
Prem talk, Those Other Leagues, and International	Here comes Claudio....	Nov 30, 2006
Prem talk, Those Other Leagues, and International	Claudio Reyna and Youth soccer	Apr 18, 2012

A retrospective on Claudio Reyna

pettyfog Well-Known Member

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A retrospective on Claudio Reyna

pettyfog Well-Known Member

HatterDon Moderator

Spencer Active Member

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