If he makes a debut and does alright this will more than make up for Pulisic’s frustration earlier today and missing Adams for so long. Sorry Stephen but we need you to let in one more to get Reyna off the bench.
3-0 now in the 65th....with BVB's fixture congestion w/ the Cup and Champions League the 2nd half of the season it wouldn't be a bad idea to get him some minutes
If you aren't going to play a kid in a 5-0 game to make his debut, you might as well leave the bench spot open. Interested to see how this plays out though. Even with his good performances, I really didn't expect to see him near the first team this season.
Yea maybe they were just thinking of having him see the bench just to take in some of the experience, I don’t know. I hope it’s a sign that he comes off the bench against Mainz.
I guess Balerdi and Morey are ahead of Gio in line for token debuts as well as contributing materially.
To give him the experience of suiting up with the first team on the game day roster. He prepares and warms up with the team. He sits on the bench and soaks in the atmosphere. It is all part of the process for integrating a youth player.
Yup was thinking the same thing. Didn’t think they’d do it given that he misses a week of playing with the U19’s. If he trains with the first team we should be good. Just impatience here.
It probably makes a bit more sense as the BVB u19’s should be playing mid week in the youth Champions League game, so Gio will presumably get the start there.
The recent BBC piece noted the same similarity: He carries the ball quickly, but in a style closer to one of his favourite players, Kaka, than his compatriot Pulisic.
If you want to give the player the experience, you give it to them, U19 games be damned. However we shouldn't get too jazzed about this. Sometimes clubs dangle sitting on the bench to youth players simply to motivate them and the rest of the youth academy. Sometimes it is used to reward youth players who have been good club citizens, even if the club has no intention of ever actually using the player. Sometimes it is used even for players to be terminated if only to help the player market himself to other squads. Now I think is clear that BVB does have big plans for Gio, but still a single bench appearance doesn't mean, for example, he makes the bench again next week or even this season.
Hopefully it's a sign that he'll be with the first team over the winter break and will have a real shot at breaking through in the new year.
I get the sense that having a youth prodigy is so much a part of Dortmund’s DNA that it is in their vested interest to always have the next Gotze, Sancho, Dembele, Pulisic on tap. As Reyna is the top academy prospect (with no controversy) it’s his turn. Not saying that it doesn’t mean anything, Obviously they rate him extremely highly and probably think he is the next Pulisic but it feels practiced to an extent.
I think we should be jazzed. If he's no longer on the U19's then, So What? This bench appearance is Confirmation that he's hit the big time. Maybe he'll end up going the route of Christian "All Blues" Pulisic.
Is he actually the top prospect with no controversy? Don't they have an African kid banging in like 2 goals a game?
I think the "controversy" is whether Moukoko is actually 15 years old. I'm not endorsing that view, just clarifying what I think was meant.