Gio Reyna stepped up to help a Borussia Dortmund side playing without Erling Haaland earn a road point in Bundesliga action on Saturday.
Reyna scored his second league goal of the season, helping Dortmund earn a 1-1 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt. It was Reyna’s first league goal since September 19th against rivals Borussia Monchengladbach.
With Erling Haaland out of the lineup due to the injury, Reyna stepped up and delivered in the second half. Jadon Sancho connected with the U.S. Men’s National Team player. Reyna received a pass at the top of the box and cut onto his right foot before ripping a shot into the top corner.
What a strike by Gio Reyna 🔥
He becomes the second youngest American to score two Bundesliga goals after Christian Pulisic. pic.twitter.com/FyDGXe433O
— ESPN (@espn) December 5, 2020
It was a strong overall performance from Reyna, who also made 10 recoveries, won five fouls, and completed over 80% of his passes in the match.
The 18-year-old came close to scoring midweek in a Champions League draw against Lazio, but rebounded nicely to keep Dortmund in the top three.
Dortmund concludes group stage play in the UCL this week at Zenit St. Petersburg.
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How unfortunate that the vast majority of American soccer fans were probably not even able to see the goal or the game, thanks to the decision by whatever dimwitted corporate entity to allow ESPN to flat out refuse to broadcast the vast majority of Bundesliga games for an ENTIRE SEASON. I hope the Bundesliga is already regretting that incredibly stupid move.
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Again, if you want to grow a soccer audience and highlight the game and the top US players, taking it completely off the air and demanding that viewers sign over all their private data for nothing to watch online is not the way to do it. Who cares if Klinsmann is now commentating for a network that hardly anyone is able to watch?! Aaaargh …
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Apparently Wolfsburg–Bremen was among the best Bundesliga games of the week. But could we watch it in the US, despite its featuring Brooks and Sargent? Noooooooo … some stupid college football or wrestling or poker or horrible inane TALK show was deemed to be more important. And of course we also could not watch Tottenham–Arsenal or Liverpool–Wolverhampton, because NBC chose Sunday to withhold all soccer coverage on TV. Because of course there are supposedly so many more fans who are longing to watch … wait for it … car auctions. AAARGH!
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I can’t bear it. If these are the sick, twisted priorities of our nation’s television sports networks, our country hardly deserves to have a soccer team in the first place.
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Funny took that shot from the exact space that Berhalter played him in.
I’m surprised JR?! You have pointed out before that some players have the freedom to move in & out of space. Sancho passed Reyna the ball, from the LW. Remember “Inverted winger”- you may have thought I was making fun of you, but I wasn’t, I got the point you were making. I think, sometimes, a person can complicate a simple tactic, or strategy. I’ve seen some tactical analysis, here are my thoughts. Favre has Reyna & Sancho tucked under the CF/9, false 9, so that opposing fullbacks move inward to defend. Reyna & Sancho draw LBs/RBs inward, Guerrero & Muenier move up the flanks closer to goal. It confuses defenses if your rotating sides as seen in the clip, as Dortmund has been doing all season. I didn’t see the match, today, but i’ve seen several. Favre’ tactics don’t change unlike his personnel (No Haaland) does. The Coach always has 3 players in or around the box. I’m pretty sure, you understand that Reyna, McKennie and co., play more disciplined for their clubs than the USMNT. Bringing me back to my “I’m surprised!” ..that you would bring GB into this without giving people some context. GB sees him as a winger, I think he’s a 10 like his pops. Reyna> Musah @ the 10.
I think so much of the debate is colored by your statement “I think he’s a ten like his dad”. The truth is the #10 rarely is able to operate the way Claudio did, with the large number of teams using 2 deep midfielders. The playmaking attacker has had to move into the half spaces. Dortmund has gone back to the 3-4-3, and with Brandt acting as a false 9 in the first half Reyna was operating at times exactly as he did for the NT, both he Sancho rotated into the 9 spot at times too. In the 2nd half it was as if they just put Moukoko in, in front of Brandt and went from 3-4-3 to a 3-3-3-1. Brandt, Reyna, and Sancho were overloading one side of the field. On the goal they were out of their normal positioning because it comes right after a corner is cleared back to midfield. Schulz the wingback was the acting CB while Zagadou and Hummels were up for the corner. Sancho takes his space as the winger. Brandt occupies the DM by cutting between Sancho and Reyna. This leaves Reyna one on one with LCB in that half space (the space where Berhalter wants Pulisic and Reyna to operate.) Whether Reyna will end up central or wider is up for debate what I tried to draw to light was that the idea that Reyna isn’t comfortable playing in wider spaces which is just plain ridiculous. Beyond the goal Reyna was really good today, he was causing the defense fits throughout. I watched first 30 and then first 20 of the 2nd so I’m not sure how things changed when Brandt came off for Bellingham. I think the other thing that throws people is Pulisic is a run at you score first pass if I have to winger so they think that Reyna as a pass first guy can’t be the same position on the opposite side. Gio has been in a bit of a rut after the 3a against he had 0g and 2a in 10 matches for Dortmund so it was good to see him today look like the best player on the field.
Beerholder is the farthest thing from a tactical genius lol?
Oops see my reply below it was meant to be here.
Your analysis was SO much better than “funny took that shot from the exact space where GB plays him!” Your statement was vague. I’m 40 years old and I like to learn. For me, you have to put things in context/perspective. I’m not cool with ONLY stats, or opinions. You got to break it down sometimes, so myself & others can see your point. If Gio is a winger and USMNT win. I’m will not be upset. Brandt, Reus, & Haaland occupy central spaces, so with Haaland out, Gio scoring from that spot look to me like he was playing a false 9. Gio plays differently with all three, I noticed. That’s not saying much, but Gio is not physical specimen, (Musah, Sargent, CCV), or quick twitch (Adams, Dest, or Arriola), he’s not fast (CP, A. Robinson), but he seems to make the game look easy. A lot of that comes from his parents. When you have time, watch a Claudio Reyna US match than watch his son. I do agree, that a classic 10 (Ozil, Xavi, Lando) have almost evaporated, but that was do to the shift into a 3 man backline. Post ‘14 WC, Germany’s 4-2-3-1, broke thru to win but was a precursor to end of that formation, or the apex?! I’ll go further, on another thread. I believe Gio is capable of playing a lot of positions in a 4-3-3!
BVB are very fluid, especially like yesterday when Haaland isn’t in there. Sancho really just went wherever he wanted and Brandt and Reyna would just fill in the other spaces.
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If your looking for tactics try halfspaces.com, scuffed podcast, total soccer show podcast, I also highly recommend following those guys on Twitter as well and then follow anyone they follow.
Wow, what a goal. I figured he was going farther to the right and then curl a ball into the upper far corner. Never expected that strike. Hit with such power and precision it was breathtaking.
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I’m not saying he is but the criticism that he’s some bumbling tactical moron is just as ludicrous. Criticize using Konrad with a false nine when Uly is better to make runs in behind, criticize giving Miazga two starts, or playing Nico 70+ mins to Soto’s 15. Those are reasonable complaints. But the idea our guys on CL teams can only operate exactly as they do for their clubs is naive.