US Needs a Healthy Reyna

December 29th, 2005 | by: WC Bob | Comments Off

Bad news today for Fans of Sam. US Captain Claudia Reyna will be sidelined for at least six weeks with a broken ankle, which he is sustained while playing for Manchester City.

If there is one player that the Yanks cannot afford to lose or to not be physically ready in Germany it is Reyna. As the US has climbed up the world rankings, it has developed depth at a variety of positions. The glaring exception is center midfielder, a role that Reyna has filled for years.

Without Reyna in the lineup in the past, the US has missed his steady presence and playmaking ability. Guys like Clint Dempsey and Kyle Martino have proven to be less than adequate replacements for Reyna. Pablo Mastroeni could fill in, as could Danny Zavagnin, but no one on the US depth charts comes close to Reyna when he is healthy.

Reyna has plenty of time from now until Germany to recuperate and to get healthy. But at the age of 32 and with a history of injuries, there is reason for concern. As is playing Italy and the Czech Republic in the first round wasn’t concern enough….