United States men’s national team midfielders Sebastian Berhalter and Giovanni Reyna said they are both getting used to taking on the role of mentors, with the 23-year-old Reyna stating that the change “makes me feel a little bit old.”
When U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino announced his 28-player squad last Thursday, the average age of the team was 22 years, nine months.
That’s gone down even further following yesterday’s announcement that 22-year-old forward Damion Downs of St. Louis City would replace injured teammate Ricardo Pepi, who is 23.
The number of uncapped players on the team remains at 13, a group that will now rely on World Cup veterans Reyna and the 25-year-old Berhalter to show them the way.
“It makes me feel a little bit old, but it’s nice to have a lot of them here,” Reyna told reporters in reference to being one of the elder statesmen.
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“Looking forward to getting to know them better on and off the field. So yeah, just here, try to help them, show them what we’ve built and what we’re striving to build. And then obviously a lot of them are very, very talented or all of them are very talented. So we’re just here to help have them be themselves and just enjoy their time with the team.”
The U.S. will face Peru in Orlando on Sept. 26, followed by games against Chile, Mexico and Canada.
For all the talk of the roster, Berhalter said those opponents will be what the team is concentrating on.
“I think obviously there’s been a lot of noise around maybe the squad that’s been brought in, but I think our focus here should now quickly turn to Peru and then obviously games after that as they’re going to be a good test for us,” Berhalter said.
“It’s a lot of work going into these games.” Both players are in the process of getting adjusted to new clubs; Berhalter with English Championship side Middlesbrough and Reyna with Ligue 1 outfit Strasbourg.
It’s Berhalter’s first time playing overseas, and he admitted the attention his side gets has been a change.
“I think just how much I love football over there and the intensity of it is incredible,” he said.
“And being in a small town, they live, breathe and eat it, and it’s fun. It’s game every couple days and it’s a grind, but it’s what you want as football player.”
Reyna has been playing in Europe since 2019, when he moved to Borussia Dortmund.
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He said he’s found the level in Ligue 1 to be very competitive.
“France has surprised me. The talent and teams I’ve played in so far have been very, very impressive,” he said.
“So yeah, I’m very, very happy so far. It started well. Obviously takes time to settle into places in terms of obviously getting to know your teammates and coach and of course living situation as well. But yeah, it’s going well so far.”
Berhalter’s adaptation has been aided by the fact that he has three American teammates at Middlesbrough, including defender Max Arfsten, midfielder Aidan Morris, and midfielder Rokas Pukstas.
“It feels almost like a fake European experience because you’re hanging out with your boys every day,” Berhalter said.
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“You have Aiden who’s pretty much crash course the whole city, knows where to go and maybe where not to go. But yeah, it’s fun. We’re enjoying it and we have a good team, so we have a clear goal to be promoted by the end of the year, but it’s good. It’s fun and want to keep going.”
For Reyna, the move to Strasbourg has brought him what he was craving and not getting the last few years, that being steady playing time. He’s started the team’s last four games.
“It was desperate at times over the last couple years just to be on the field, whether it was injuries or maybe the situation,” he said.
“But obviously speaking of the club and speaking to the coach, right away I directly knew that I wanted to make the step there, gave me a great feeling. Soccer fits me, the club project fits me as well.”
