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United States coach Mauricio Pochettino has included midfielder Giovanni Reyna in his 26-player squad for the upcoming World Cup, despite a controversial past and limited recent club playtime.

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I think we were seeing, analyzing, assessing all the situations and we decided the 26 players of the roster.

Reyna, an attacking midfielder for Borussia Monchengladbach, was nearly sent home from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar following a dispute with former coach Gregg Berhalter. His inclusion in the current squad comes after impressing Pochettino during international windows last November and appearing as a substitute in recent friendly matches against Belgium and Portugal. However, Reyna has seen limited action at the club level this year, making only a handful of appearances as a substitute in the Bundesliga.

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He added that he was seeking the "best balance in the 26" picks.

The 23-year-old remains a technically gifted player for Pochettino as the US team prepares for its World Cup Group D opener against Paraguay in Los Angeles on June 12. The controversy surrounding Reyna four years ago resurfaced after the tournament when it emerged that his attitude in training had led to Berhalter considering his expulsion from the camp. This situation escalated when Reyna's mother reported a physical altercation between Berhalter and his then-girlfriend, now wife, in 1991, prompting an investigation by US Soccer.

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I think we cannot talk about the players that are not in the roster, because it's very respectful to the players that made the roster.

Pochettino announced the squad at an event in New York, stating that the selection process involved analyzing all situations to determine the best 26 players for the roster, aiming for "the best balance." He declined to comment on players left out, such as Tanner Tessmann, while emphasizing respect for those who made the squad. The squad predominantly features Europe-based players, including Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Folarin Balogun, alongside Premier League players like Tyler Adams and Antonee Robinson. Sebastian Berhalter, son of the former coach, is among the Major League Soccer players selected.

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I know what it means to be out of the roster, in 1994, the World Cup in the US I was out... finally I made the roster. That is why I know it's so painful, but that is my job.