Bundesliga

2020-09-02T16:20:00Z

Reyna on cusp of USMNT debut says Berhalter

Gio Reyna has scored against Rheindorf Altach, Austria Vienna and Duisburg for Borussia Dortmund in pre-season.
Gio Reyna has scored against Rheindorf Altach, Austria Vienna and Duisburg for Borussia Dortmund in pre-season.

Gio Reyna has lit up pre-season with Borussia Dortmund, scoring four goals across his three games, and a full USA debut now looks to be just around the corner for the 17-year-old with USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter singing his praises.

Reyna, the son of former US internationals Danielle Egan and Claudio Reyna, has already given notice of his nascent talent, scoring a stunning goal for Borussia Dortmund against Werder Bremen in the DFB Cup as well as assisting Erling Haaland when BVB beat Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League in February.

Reyna featured in 15 Bundesliga games in 2019/20, starting two of those, and Berhalter thinks the young attacker is ready to progress for club and country in the coming season.

"Reyna has a great mentality," the former Energie Cottbus and 1860 Munich defender explained to SportBild. "He's still a teenager but plays like an old hand. He has this hunger to always win everything and wants to improve in every training session.

"You could see this professional attitude in him as a teenager. At BVB he now has a great chance of starting a great career, and I'm sure he'll make the most of it. What he shows in Dortmund is fantastic."

Capped up to U17 level with the USA - with whom he has scored eight goals in 18 appearances - Reyna was set to bypass the U20s and U23s in March with a call up to the senior squad, until global events got in the way.

Gio Reyna (c.) has already powered his way to 31 youth international caps with the USA, scoring 16 goals in the process.

"Gio hasn't yet played a senior international match because our friendlies with Holland and Wales in March were cancelled due to the corona pandemic," explained Berhalter. "He'll get a chance in our next game, that's very clear."

The US do not have their next fixture scheduled as yet, but Reyna could be in action again as soon as next Monday, with Dortmund set to conclude their pre-season friendlies against Sparta Rotterdam.

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