Gio Reyna had to wait 421 days to celebrate his latest goal for Borussia Dortmund, but finally got to savor that feeling once again on Saturday.
Reyna earned a start for Edin Terzic’s squad on Saturday, scoring his first goal of the season in a 5-0 Bundesliga victory over Stuttgart. The 19-year-old earned SBI’s Americans Abroad Player of the Week honors for his impressive performance in the Borussia Dortmund attack, gaining needed confidence ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Reyna capped off a dominant first half for Borussia Dortmund, cutting onto his right foot in the 44th minute before drilling a low shot into the bottom-right corner. It was Reyna’s first goal since August 2021, extending Dortmund’s advantage to 3-0 on the afternoon.
The USMNT attacker logged 66 minutes in the eventual 5-0 victory, creating the most chances (3), winning three duels, and totaling two shots. It was a promising performance for Reyna ahead of an important UEFA Champions League showdown with Manchester City on Tuesday.
Here is a look at some of the other top Americans Abroad performers from the past week:
Zack Steffen
Zack Steffen helped Middlesbrough earn four points out of a possible six over the past week, continuing to lock down the No. 1 job for the club.
Steffen totaled eight combined saves in a 4-1 EFL Championship victory over Wigan Athletic on Wednesday before posting a clean sheet in a goal-less draw with Huddersfield Town. The 27-year-old helped Middlesbrough move out of the relegation zone and into 21st place through 16 matches played.
Steffen still has five additional opportunities in league play before the one-month break due to the World Cup.
Ricardo Pepi
Ricardo Pepi’s stellar start to life with FC Groningen continued over the past week as the USMNT forward celebrated two additional goals in back-to-back victories for the club.
Pepi scored once in Groningen’s 3-0 KNVB Cup win over FC Dordrecht before also finding the back of the net in a 4-2 Eredivisie victory over PSV. The 19-year-old now has six goals and one assist in seven combined appearances on loan in Holland.
Pepi’s arrival in Frank Vormuth’s squad has provided a positive spark as FC Groningen continues its quest up the league table.
Weston McKennie
Juventus earned back-to-back Serie A wins for the second time this season as USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie contributed to the triumph.
McKennie scored his first league goal of the season in a 4-0 victory over Empoli, heading home from a corner kick in the 56th minute. The 24-year-old has started in three-straight games across all competitions, featuring in Serie A and UEFA Champions League play.
McKennie will now aim to stay in Massimiliano Allegri’s squad on Tuesday with a UCL trip to Benfica.
Taylor Booth
Taylor Booth earned his second-consecutive Eredivisie start on Sunday, walking away with his first two assists for FC Utrecht.
The 21-year-old midfielder assisted twice in FC Utrecht’s 3-1 home victory over Sparta Rotterdam, delivering a strong performance for the club. Booth also won three of his five duels and completed 87% of his passes, playing a key role in Utrecht’s fourth league win of the new campaign.
Booth’s positive impressions over the past two weeks will only benefit him going forward this season.
What did you think of the top Americans Abroad performances this past week? Who impressed you the most? Who didn’t make the list that you feel deserved a mention?
Share your thoughts below.
Glad to see Taylor Booth starting to heat up and unlock his dormant skill/potential in a top div in Europe. Taylor helping the team win with two assist is awesome. I am also confident we will get a couple of scrimmages before the WC to keep form up for already locks like Pepi, Mckennie, Aaronson, and Pulisic.
Kind of feel like Booth is in that zone that guys like Mendez and DeLaTorre found themselves in that maybe they weren’t athletic enough to be attackers but not defensive enough to be 6s so they kind of float around formations because managers just don’t know where to play them. We may see Jack McGlynn in this same category soon. Seems like Cole Bassett too.