“I think it’s a fantastic problem,” U. S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino said of having so many new faces perform well during the September-October international break.

Eight teenagers and 13 total uncapped players got the chance to leave their mark for the USMNT in four friendlies against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada. The Stars and Stripes collected four victories, kicking off the 2030 World Cup cycle with the likes of Julian Hall and Cavan Sullivan leading the way.

One player who didn’t make the cut was Bryan Reynolds. The 25-year-old fullback has not been called up to the USMNT in three years, becoming nothing more than a forgotten name during a spell with Westerlo in Belgium.

But Reynolds secured a move to Ligue 1 side Rennes this summer and is suddenly giving Pochettino another name to consider ahead of the November international break.

Reynolds Turns Heads in Ligue 1

It didn’t come as a surprise when Reynolds was left off Pochettino’s first roster post-2026 World Cup. The right back had a drab start to his career in France, logging just two minutes in Rennes’ first three games.

As the early weeks of the season stretched on, Reynolds got more opportunities little by little. He featured off the bench twice in Ligue 1 and also earned his first start in the team’s goalless Europa League draw with Sturm Graz.

Upon the return of domestic action at the weekend, Reynolds got the nod in Ligue 1 for the first time, commanding the right flank in a dominant 4–1 win over Auxerre. The American took advantage of the moment and repaid his manager’s trust with a Man of the Match performance.

Reynolds tallied two assists on a night when he showed off his passing range and creativity. He was also strong inside his own half, winning the battle against Fredrik Oppegård and Danny Namaso with conviction.

It was perhaps the best response Reynolds could have mustered after being overlooked yet again by Pochettino.

Reynolds’s Short-Lived Time With the USMNT

Reynolds made his senior debut for the USMNT back in March 2021, but never really cemented himself in the USMNT’s lineup. He was fighting for minutes with undisputed starter Sergiño Dest and the up-and-coming Joe Scally.

By 2023, he had just three appearances to his name. He was overlooked for the 2022 World Cup and barely even saw the pitch in the Concacaf Nations League. Around the same time, Reynolds had transferred from Roma to Westerlo, operating in obscurity outside of Europe’s top five leagues in Belgium.

Reynolds had a brief resurgence for the national team at the 2023 Gold Cup, making four appearances and even finding the back of the net before the USMNT was eliminated on penalties in the semifinals.

But it wasn’t enough for him to nail down a place in former manager Gregg Berhalter’s plans. By the time Pochettino took over the team in September 2024, Reynolds was nothing more than an afterthought—and his exile only stretched on further with the emergence of Alex Freeman.

A Tough Challenge Lies Ahead for Reynolds

As if breaking into the team wasn’t hard enough for Reynolds, he had to watch from home as Freeman had a breakout campaign at the 2026 World Cup. The Villarreal man won the starting job on the right flank and hasn’t looked back, impressing on home soil with his playmaking, speed and defensive efforts.

Scally also made two appearances in this summer’s showpiece event, getting the nod in the team’s group stage finale against Türkiye. Dest spent a majority of the tournament operating on the right wing, but he remains an option at right back should Pochettino ever need the 25-year-old to return to his roots.

The trend continued during the September-October international break. While Reynolds sat at home, Freeman started three of the team’s four wins and even created the game-winner against Canada. Scally might not have made the cut this time around, but Francis Westfield made his senior debut.

Now there’s four players ahead of Reynolds in Pochettino’s pecking order. But with Scally on the outskirts and Westfield lacking experience, Reynolds could force his way back into the USMNT squad with more standout performances for Rennes.

Pochettino has proven he’s not afraid to bring back previously forgotten or ousted players—just look at Gio Reyna’s rise back to prominence in red, white and blue. While Reynolds has low hope of displacing Freeman, he can surely challenge for the backup role if he starts making some noise in Ligue 1.