Former US international Eric Wynalda is sounding the alarm to Giovanni Reyna, telling him to reject a move to LAFC and not return to Major League Soccer at all. Reyna’s club future is up in the air. A transfer to Serie A side Parma has stalled due to Borussia Dortmund’s €10 million asking price.
Ex-USMNT Star Warns Gio Reyna Against LAFC Move, Slams Coach Cherundolo: "He's Boring" originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Former US international Eric Wynalda is sounding the alarm to Giovanni Reyna, telling him to reject a move to LAFC and not return to Major League Soccer at all. Especially not under head coach Steve Cherundolo, whom Wynalda bluntly calls “boring” and uninspiring.
Reyna’s club future is up in the air. A transfer to Serie A side Parma has stalled due to Borussia Dortmund’s €10 million asking price.
Meanwhile, LAFC has emerged as an option, but for Wynalda, that would be disastrous. Not just for Reyna, but for the USMNT’s 2026 World Cup.
“I worry about Gio Reyna,” Wynalda said on Unleashed with Eric Wynalda via GOLZ TV. “I don’t think coming back to LAFC and playing for Steve Cherundolo is going to help.”
Wynalda didn't hold back in his critique of Cherundolo, questioning whether the LAFC coach was even capable of developing a player like Reyna, especially in such an important pre-World Cup time frame.
“Cherundolo is someone I’ve known for a long time. He’s boring. He hates the media. He’s not going to inspire anybody to do anything prior to a World Cup,” Wynalda said.
“Sorry if that hurts your feelings, but he’s not the answer. He wouldn’t be the answer as the national team coach either, and he’s probably on his way back to Germany.”
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“This Is What You Get”: MLS Return Could Repeat 2018 Failure
His concerns go beyond coaching. Wynalda sees Reyna’s potential MLS return as part of a bigger pattern that led the US off a cliff: the 2018 World Cup qualification failure.
He drew direct comparisons to Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, and Jozy Altidore, who returned to MLS in the run-up to that campaign.
« Let’s remember the idea of bringing Michael Bradley home with Jozy Altidore for Toronto. » he continued
« They also brought Clint Dempsey back to play for Seattle. They paid him $6 million a year! That was 2014.”
“After three years in the league, what happened to our national team? We didn’t f***ing qualify, and you can’t put it together?”
“Michael Bradley, Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore can’t figure out a way to qualify against Trinidad? With Christian Pulisic trying to pick up the scraps and make something happen at a young age?”
“ This is what happens when you come back and you are preparing for a World Cup and you’re playing in MLS. This is what you get. You’re not going to be competitive in a World Cup environment. End of story. This is not an opinion. This is factual.”
Dortmund is still open to selling Reyna this summer, but only for the right price. Parma’s offer of €7 million plus bonuses is well below the German club’s valuation. With no deal in place and LAFC ready to pounce, Wynalda’s comments add more heat (and controversy) to Reyna’s decision.
Whether Reyna stays in Europe or comes home will determine not only his future but the national team’s in 2026.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
