What can Giovanni Reyna contribute to the USMNT at the 2022 World Cup?
The Dortmund player was involved in the US’s defeat to Japan in Dusseldorf last Friday and will hope to get playing time against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
Fans of Wales, England and Iran watching Friday’s friendly game between Japan and the United States would have been encouraged with ‘Samurai Blue’ running out with a convincing 2-0 win in Dusseldorf on Friday.
Japan were a very competitive team who pressed well” but we committed “too many silly giveaways,” said US coach Gregg Berhalter after the match adding, “We need to have more personality, for some reason I didn’t see it today,” he acknowledged. “I think there were some good moments and some moments we need to improve (...) We can do better.”
Berhalter was forced to play without Pulisic after the Chelsea star sustained a knock suffered in a training session.
Murcia test vs. Saudi Arabia
The USMNT now head to Spain for the second of the friendly games on this mini European tour and will be anxious to deliver a better performance in the last test before the tournament starts on 20 November. They face Saudi Arabia in Murcia’s La Condomina stadium on Tuesday and the match may provide another runout for Gio Reyna who played for 45 minutes in the defeat to Japan.
The 2021-22 campaign proved to be a hellish season for the Dortmund player who only made 10 Bundesliga appearances in an injury ravaged year. Finally fit again, the 19-year-old has his eyes set on a place in Berhalter’s squad for Qatar. The Dortmund player showed flashes on Friday of that magic that catapulted him to notoriety in 2019 with the Sunderland born named by the Guardian as part of their ‘Next Generation’ listing and will have been boosted by becoming the first ever American player to provide two assists in a Champions League game for BVB against FC Copenhagen.
A solid showing against Saudi Arabia and consistency for Dortmund are essential for the attacking player if he hopes to be on the plane to Doha with a fit Gio Reyna always having the ability to trouble rival defenders with his mazy dribbling and lightning pace.
The US are pitted in Group B of the 2022 World Cup and will face England, Wales in Iran.