Claudio Reyna

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Reyna was born in Livingston, New Jersey, and learned the game from his father Miguel, who moved to the United States from Argentina in 1968. He played youth soccer at Jonathan Dayton High School and Saint Benedict's Preparatory School, where he was a teammate of Gregg Berhalter and Robert Ducey, and went undefeated (65–0) in three years. He attended the University of Virginia from 1991 to 1993, winning three NCAA Championships, the Hermann Trophy in 1993, and the MAC Award in 1992 and 1993. He played professionally in Europe for Bayer Leverkusen, VfL Wolfsburg, Rangers, Sunderland, and Manchester City, and finished his career in 2008 with New York Red Bulls. He earned 112 caps for the U.S. national team from 1994 to 2006, playing in four FIFA World Cups, and was named to the 2002 World Cup all-tournament team. After retiring, he became technical director of New York City FC in 2013, then sporting director of Austin FC in 2019, resigning in January 2023.

In Their Own Story

The air at Home Depot Center was thick with humidity on a summer evening in 2011. Reyna received the ball just outside the box, surrounded by three defenders. Instead of forcing a shot, he dropped his shoulder, feigned a pass to the left, and slipped a weighted through-ball that split the defense like butter. The net rippled as the striker finished. Reyna didn't celebrate wildly; he simply pointed to the sky, the quiet architect of another masterclass.

Reader's Guide

Claudio Reyna is not mentioned in the source article as having played for or been associated with LA Galaxy. The source article does not mention any connection between Reyna and LA Galaxy.

Did You Know?

• Reyna was the first American to captain a European club, doing so at VfL Wolfsburg.
• He was named the only two-time Parade Magazine's national high school Player of the Year.
• Reyna was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012.
• He scored a decisive goal for Rangers against Italian club Parma for qualification to the 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League.