Gio Reyna: “There is no moving up from Borussia Dortmund”
Borussia Dortmund and USMNT midfielder Gio Reyna had a conversation with Bundesliga and football commentator Derek Rae about his most recent season and his future goals with the club.
Borussia Dortmund’s Gio Reyna has seen plenty of the spotlight over the course of the last several months. The young USMNT international experienced it all this past season; international duty turbulence, last minute game winning goals for his club, and unfortunate injury woes made it quite the ride.
Reyna, along with the rest of his BVB teammates, faced the bitter reality of missing their chance of winning the club’s first Bundesliga title since 2012 this past May; an experience that was certainly tough to process for Reyna, as well as the rest of his teammates. In an interview with Bundesliga commentator Derek Rae, Reyna spoke out on how difficult the end of the season was, but also stated that it showed him and his teammates that they have the mettle to compete moving forward:
"“The end of the season was tough for everyone connected to the club. We know how close we were, and it as so disappointing not to get it done. The experience has taught us that we have the potential to win trophies.”"
Potential is something that both Dortmund, and Reyna in extension, have an ample supply of, that much is certain. Going into next season it will be important for both player and club to take the next step and really show that this latent potential can truly yield results.
After Dortmund’s failed title bid was concluded, Reyna went off to join the national team and was able to taste victory in the CONCACAF Nations League, where he was instrumental in the US’s 2-0 victory over Canada. Reyna assisted both goals and put his well-known talent on display, showing just how good he can be if these performances happened on a consistent basis.
In the second half of the season with Dortmund, much of what we saw from Reyna was appearances off the bench, but these appearances proved quite effective as the young American frequently proved to be a game changer. In games against Augsburg and Mainz, Reyna proved to be the catalyst that got Dortmund over the line by scoring the winning goals. It was these goals that kept Dortmund in the title race and proved pivotal in taking the title race to the wire on the final match day.
Of course, most professional footballers don’t dream of being impact subs, and Reyna is no different. Despite this however, Reyna’s comments underline that he is willing to work for his place in the team by helping out on the pitch whenever he can:
"“I’m about the team and the fans. What I’ve learned is coming off the bench was helpful to the team winning and sometimes late in the game it opens up a bit. I’m going to push as hard as I can to start more this season though. That’s my goal for sure.”"
Reyna’s comments also touched on his Dortmund future, which the young American firmly sees in black and yellow:
"“I can’t think for a better club to play for. I’m lucky that my first professional club is also a club that has the chance to win the Bundesliga, Pokal and UCL. There is no moving up from Dortmund. It’s a top, top club so I’m happy here and could play here forever.”"
Next. Assessing Borussia Dortmund's captaincy candidates. dark
In an earlier piece we discussed why Dortmund shouldn’t look for a premature departure for Gio Reyna, with the focus being that the club should give the player a chance to really blossom in the coming season if he is truly willing to work for it and accept his current role at the club. His propensity to come off the bench and be a game changer, coupled with his disposition towards the club and willingness to commit his future are reasons enough for the club to put their faith in his ability to really utilize the latent potential to be come an exemplary player for Borussia Dortmund, in effect helping guide them to future sporting success just as he has done for the US on the international level.