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Kyle Bonagura, ESPN editor
After more than two years, Giovanni ReynaThe aimless drought with the UNITED STATES is finished.
The 20-year-old attacking midfielder scored his first ever international double as the United States were overwhelmed. Ghana 4-0 Tuesday at Geodis Park in Nashville. All four goals were scored in the first half with all three scorers: Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun and Reyna – exiting after 45 minutes.
For Reyna, the performance represents an important step forward, both for the United States and for his prospects at club level, where he has appeared just once this season for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.
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Let’s start with what it means for him to wear an American shirt.
The last two years have been close to a worst-case scenario. This is partly due to the expectations that accompanied his debut in a friendly match against Wales at the age of 17 in 2020. It was hard not to view him as anything other than a superstar in waiting. He had already distinguished himself in Dortmund, stood out in the round of 16 UEFA Champions League and slotted into coach Gregg Berhalter’s U.S. starting lineup, a spot he expected to hold on the team for a decade.
This status quo remained until the beginning of world Cup qualifications, when he injured himself El Salvador in the first of 14 matches. Since then, setbacks have followed one another. Injuries were the main culprit and, of course, there was the embarrassing family drama that tarnished the World Cup and contributed to Berhalter’s absence from the team for six months. There will come a time when this saga no longer needs to be rehashed, but, given that this was Reyna’s first camp under Berhalter since their once-close families’ very public falling out, it still stood as a important step.
We are not aware of an honest accounting of what Berhalter-Reyna interactions were like this last week, but the results on the ground were encouraging. Against Germany On Saturday, the United States was clearly better with Reyna on the field, and that was the case again against Ghana. With Reyna playing both games in a rather central midfield role under Balogun up front, the United States may be as dangerous in the attacking third as they have ever been.
Reyna’s position within the national team has been a subject of debate since her breakthrough. Before the Germany match, Berhalter had strictly used Reyna as a winger. The logic was easy to follow: it placed Reyna in a position to have an offensive impact on the game, while allowing the three midfielders to Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams And Yunus Moussa Play together. Even though this trio was good at times, the combination didn’t lead to much on offense. The team struggled to consistently create chances throughout World Cup qualifying and at the World Cup.
With Reyna floating in an advanced role in midfield, all of a sudden the team has someone who can create, score and dictate play. This element combined with Balogun’s attacking talent – with Pulisic and Timothy Weah on the wings – should solve much of what plagues the United States
Reyna’s first goal illustrated this. Balogun was brought to a dangerous area by Sergiño Dest, and his shot across the box rebounded to Reyna, who calmly crushed it in the 10th minute. This was by no means a precision execution, but the result of good things happening by applying pressure. After a Pulisic penalty, Balogun showcased an impressive turn and finish after Weah forced a turnover. The rout only took place after 22 minutes of play.
A clever sequence of indirect free kicks initiated by Balogun and Pulisic from inside the area allowed Reyna to score his second, despite 11 Ghanaian players stationed under the penalty spot.
The United States were so dominant in the first half on Tuesday that it was fair to question the motivation of the Black Stars. A classic chicken or egg dilemma in assigning credit and blame. The reality, however, is that the United States fielded a strong and motivated team at home against a team that has more pressing matches to play.
As instructive as Reyna’s 90 minutes were for the national team, they could also serve as a springboard to more playing time in Germany. There were no obvious signs of rust in his return from a foot injury he suffered with the United States during the Nations League in June, and Berhalter’s hope was that minutes with the United States – his half-time substitutions were planned – would help him. improve her physical condition and show that Reyna was ready to contribute again. There is now hope that Reyna can revive that trajectory at Dortmund.
