Gio Reyna Taken Into U.S. World Cup History Books by Family’s New Dynasty Member

Carolina Reyna’s brace in the U.S. women’s national team’s opening game of this summer’s U-17 World Cup could have gotten lost amid the torrent of goals in a 17–0 win over Samoa. Yet, those strikes will forever have a place in American soccer history.

A few months before Reyna’s role in the barn-storming battering, her brother Gio scored for the men’s senior national team on home soil in a 4–1 thumping of Paraguay. The two offspring of retired USMNT star, Claudio Reyna, now hold the distinction of the first brother-sister pair to ever score for the States at a World Cup.

Claudio never achieved the feat, be it at youth or senior level, but can take solace from having two of the current program’s brightest talents.

After a tumultuous falling out with former USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter, stoked by the flames of a feud started by Claudio, Gio Reyna has always been admired by Mauricio Pochettino. The versatile midfielder rewarded his manager’s World Cup call-up with that delicious outside-the-boot goal at SoFi Stadium to cap a rout. 4–1 remains the USMNT’s joint-largest ever World Cup win, although it pales in comparison to the feats of Carolina’s US U-17 WNT.

The Stars and Stripes were already 10–0 up before Reyna even came on against Samoa. The teenager only needed three minutes to pile on the humiliation, combining with Maddie DiMaria, who would end the game with six goals of her own, to pick out a tamely guarded net. Reyna made it 15–0 with a left-footed curler into the top corner in the 78th minute, allowing her teammates enough time to add another pair of goals.

The World Cup Dynasty of the Reynas

Carolina was only 10 when she saw Gio captain the U-17 side in 2019. A U.S. team spearheaded by fellow future senior international Ricardo Pepi would have a brilliant start to the tournament; Gianluca Busio scored inside just three minutes. Yet, no one else would find the net throughout a winless group-stage exit.

Claudio’s U-17 side in 1989 at least began its first-round elimination with a win over Brazil, although it wasn’t a vintage iteration of the Seleção—not a single member of the team that lost 1–0 to the USYNT would make a senior international appearance.

Reyna Sr. would have more success at senior World Cups. After sitting on the bench for the home tournament in 1994, the attacking midfielder was a regular starter in 1998 before captaining the nation in 2002 and 2006. Unlike his children, the central operator was unable to score, although he did surpass Gio by making it to the quarterfinals.

Given the hulking size of Monday’s result, Carolina would expect the U.S. youngsters to go far this summer. One win of such a large margin is almost enough to guarantee qualification for the knockout round already, with two group games against China and Kenya remaining. Should the U.S. U-17 WNT win its group, it would be up against the runner-up in Group D, which could be the likes of Japan or France, in the round of 16.

The U.S. has never won the women’s U-17 World Cup in its current guise, falling as early as the first knockout round last year. The Stars and Stripes’ best return was a third-place finish in 2008, when a team including future senior winners Sam Mewis and Crystal Dunn were involved. It remains to be seen if Carolina can ever aspire to those heights, but she’s already done her family proud.