The US Men’s National Teams’ snubbed star from the Qatar World Cup has scored a second consecutive winning goal for his club as a substitute. Borussia Dortmund’s Gio Reyna netted a stunner from the right edge of the box on Sunday against FC Augsburg in the Bundesliga. On Wednesday, he scored a late back post tap in from a corner kick and Dortmund prevailed over Mainz.
There has been a lot of news recently involving the relationship between Gio Reyna and current USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter. Many fans and analysts, alike, were left somewhat stunned by Berhalter’s decision to rarely use Reyna in Qatar. Reyna, an emerging star at just 20 years old, has been showing instances of magic in the Bundesliga for the last couple years. So, his ability is not the issue.
Soon after the completion of the World Cup, news involving Gregg Berhalter and his former friends, also Reyna’s parents, Claudio and Danielle Reyna, began circulating. Ultimately, it is widely believed through the information released that Berhalter’s ex-friendship with the Reyna’s played a role in Gio’s playing time.
Although his World Cup outing was disappointing, the young star now has the world’s attention.
Dortmund has taken six points from their last two games because of Reyna’s magic coming on as a substitute. On Sunday, in a 7-goal thriller, Reyna hit a worldie of a volley across the box just eight minutes after coming on the pitch. It was the third goal scored in three minutes (75’-78’).
On Wednesday, he supplied more magic as a substitute.
After a goal from both sides within the first five minutes, the Mainz crowd did not see another goal until stoppage time. In the 93’, Dortmund’s Sébastien Haller flicked on a corner to the back post. Reyna was the first to it and lunged to guide it in with his left foot. The attacking midfielder/ inverted winger now has three goals in 11 Bundesliga appearances.
Reyna has only started in three of those appearances and in that time, averages .70 goals per 90 minutes. Among players in Dortmund’s squad that have seen action in at least half their games, Reyna’s average goals per 90 is the best.
The Black and Yellow must continue to give number 7 opportunities as he continually makes the most of them. Although this is for the club and not country, everything Reyna does in this point of his career will ultimately help propel the USMNT.
Featured Image Courtesy of BVB Buzz and Fansided
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