COMMENTARY

By Nancy Armour

updated 9:22 a.m. ET June 23, 2006

NUREMBERG, Germany - Claudio Reyna left his final game for the United States wearing a sweat shirt and a knee wrap, trying not to get in the way as Ghana’s delighted players danced around him.

Reyna said Friday he will no longer play for his country. It was a humbling end for the man who’s been at the forefront of U.S. soccer for more than a decade. Bad enough that the Americans were going home from the World Cup, eliminated Thursday after Ghana’s goal on a questionable penalty kick. His injury made it worse.

Perhaps worst of all might be that if not for one mistake — his mistake — the outcome could have been different.

“Disappointed,” he said after the 2-1 loss to Ghana. “I never wanted to make this bigger for me or anything because it was going to be my last World Cup, but yeah, disappointing.”

Reyna has been the U.S. captain for almost eight years, so long most of his teammates have no idea what it’s like to play without him. He was there when the Americans were an international laughingstock, and he was front and center when they made the world sit up and take notice.

He hoped to leave after another leap forward, certain that the team would be OK without him. Instead, the Americans made an early exit far too similar to their debacle in 1998, and there’s no guarantee where the team is headed.

“This team without Claudio,” Brian McBride said, “it’s going to be a transition to find somebody like that.”

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The Americans could always count on Reyna, a model of consistency whether he was the attacking playmaker of old or the guy directing traffic at this World Cup. He has eight goals in 112 appearances with the U.S. team, and it wasn’t by accident that he played one of the best games of his career in the Americans’ biggest win, 2-0 over Mexico in the second round of the 2002 World Cup.

McBride scored the first goal of that game, but Reyna set it up. He was later chosen as a first-team World Cup All Star, the first American to with that distinction.

Though age — he turns 33 next month — and injuries are starting to take their toll, Reyna was still the best thing going for the United States in Germany. Through the first two games, he was the only American with a shot on goal. In the opener, he curled a shot from 25 yards past Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech, only to watch it bang off the post.

But he made a rare mistake Thursday, and it cost the Americans dearly.

After receiving a short backpass from Clint Dempsey in the 22nd minute, Reyna collided with Ghana’s Haminu Draman. Their left knees knocked and as Reyna crumpled to the ground in pain from a sprained ligament, Draman collected the ball and came in one-on-one against goalkeeper Kasey Keller. One curling shot and suddenly the Ghanaians were up 1-0.

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“I should have probably just put it up the field and I tried to dribble,” said Reyna, who pounded the grass in frustration. “I just made the wrong decision there.”

Reyna was carried off the field on a stretcher, covering his face with his arms. But he wasn’t replaced, and was jogging along the sideline a few minutes later. Four minutes after being hurt, he was back.

“It felt fine when I first got up and started running,” he said. “But as the game went on, I felt every time I planted and turned, it felt weak.

“Such a big game, it was the smart decision to come off. I wanted to carry on, but I made the decision really for the team.”

In the 40th minute, Ben Olsen came on and Reyna handed his captain’s armband to Landon Donovan. He got handshakes and pats on the back from several teammates, then headed for the bench and an icepack.

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Three minutes later, Dempsey gave him the best send-off of all, smashing a 10-yard shot off a perfect cross from DaMarcus Beasley to tie the game.

“After the first goal that we gave up, we worked really hard to get back into it,” Reyna said. “Going into halftime 1-1 would have been great for us. I think we would have won the game.”

Instead, Ghana was awarded a penalty kick in injury time after Oguchi Onyewu pushed Razak Pimpong on the edge of the box while they battled for a header. Stephen Appiah crushed the ball over Kasey Keller, and Ghana led for good.

“The penalty decision really changed the game,” Reyna said. “You could see the boys at halftime were really deflated by the decision, thought it was unjust.”

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The Americans had several chances in the second half, including a diving header by McBride that clanged off the post. But their momentum had disappeared long before, and the heart of their team was on the bench.

“We always miss Claudio Reyna,” McBride said. “He can pick teams apart.”

Reyna joined his teammates as they crossed the field to salute the U.S. fans, then turned and made the long walk back.

“Claudio’s been amazing,” McBride said. “I’ve loved every minute playing with him.”

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