The U.S. men's national team battered Ghana on Tuesday, and had fun doing it. Christian Pulisic scored and smiled. Folarin Balogun erased some of his Saturday frustration. The USMNT flowed forward and bounced back in style from its 3-1 loss to Germany over the weekend.

But no one man's joy was more significant than Gio Reyna's.

Reyna, after 11 uncomfortable months in a searing spotlight, scored his first two USMNT goals since June of 2021, and catalyzed a 4-0 win.

The result, on the road to the 2026 World Cup, was insignificant. The first 45 minutes, though, felt both meaningful and liberating. Reyna scored in the 10th minute, and wheeled away toward the corner flag with a boyish grin spread across his face.