And to think, the match that launched him to stardom was a 12-0 win against Honduras in the U20 World Cup, in which he scored a triple hat-trick.
I have literally never seen anything like this start for Haaland. Just a force to be reckoned with.... he has had a couple of tap-ins... but this is ridiculous. 5 goals and he hasn't played 90 minutes yet. Just sic. Wish Reyna got a real chance today... but at least he was the 3rd sub again today... it bodes well for him down the stretch. I am not sure how you can keep Haaland on the bench. If he played 90 next to Sancho they may score 5+ every game. Seriously two of the most promising players I have ever had the pleasure to watch.
some interesting favre training tidbits that might give some insight into gio from this thorgen hazard piece. hazard looks at favre as a mentor. https://theathletic.com/1545173/2020/01/25/thorgan-hazard-dortmund-belgium/
That game was practically an exhibition game, both Norway and Honduras were going into it with 0 points, and Portugal, Nigeria and Poland had already three, and Panama and Ecuador had one going to games they were expected to win. With only the 4 best 3rds going through, they knew they were dead.
Favre was stupid to bring on Gio. As cool as it was to see him, Dortmunds back line has struggled. He is missing chances to get the young players they purhcased last year some minutes. Those backs need to get some playing time too. Getting the young spaniard or Balerdi some time is most imperative. Just listening to everyone, they say the same thing. The back line needs to improve or they wont even come close to winning the league.
OT in that it doesn't relate to Reyna beyond Haaland being a new player in the squad. Haaland is amazing and I am not linking this because it's definitive proof.... FIFA did investigate that match between Honduras for match fixing. Which to be honest just adds to the legend for me. Even if Honduras was trying to lose maybe big like 4-0, he scored NINE GOALS. https://norwaytoday.info/sport/norway-honduras-match-fixing/
Quickly looked up Euro 2020 qualifying as I could not remember how Norway did, and was very saddened to see they finished third in their group and are out. Wonder if they might have had a chance to qualify if they had brought him up a little sooner, does look like he was scoring pile upon pile of goals at every level up through the system, international and club. Now I see they still have a really weird path available to them via the nutty playoff I just flat out don't understand (are those qualifying groups or something else entirely?). Looks like they were thrown into a group with Serbia, Israel and Scotland. Would love to see them qualify just to see him play.
They're not playing for Reyna's development for the USMNT, they have their own prerogatives in place, sometimes it will go our way, sometimes it won't (of course I was going totally ape---- when Pulisic wasn't getting any run in Chelsea months ago).
They’re playing Serbia, and if they win that, the winner of Scotland/Israel, to qualify. https://www.uefa.com/european-quali...79706e0-1000--play-offs-all-you-need-to-know/
Who said anything about the USNT developmental interests? I'm talking about their own. They already effectively won. So put the players in who you're going to learn about and who is going to gain from the experience at that point. As I pointed out, they were risking almost infinitely more the previous week by playing him, and they did it anyway. Inexplicable decision making.
See @Gorky They have a two-legged tie with Serbia for the right to play the winner of Scotland-Israel in another two-legged tie. Win that one and they're through.
Dortmund tend to bed in players slowly, to avoid putting too much pressure on them early on. Dortmund are always thinking long term. It happened with Sancho. I guess it seems less necessary with Haaland, as the guy is just unreal but still good to go through the proper process
Looks like Emre Can could be coming to BVB, which seems like a great move, but could effect Gio. Brandt has been playing as an 8 next to witsel, but if Can starts, that’d presumably push Brandt into an attacking mid role and knock Gio down a rung on the depth chart.
Not sure it really matters in that Can would certainly take a roster spot and that is one less for Reyna. But I think Reyna is here to stay... so I am not really sweating the potential move. I will say that people should not be getting their hopes up too high w/ respect to Reyna getting a lot of playing time this season. Sancho will be out at the end of the season and I see Reyna being the front-runner to take his spot when he does. But they are in the hunt for a title and you just don't sit Sancho. Hazard is also playing well after a relatively silent start to the season... so I don't see him sitting all that much either. I think we can expect Reyna to get some minutes when the team is up in the 2nd half and a start here and there in cup matches (Circle 2/4 against Bremen on your Calendar). BVB is also still in the CL... so Favre needs to be concerned with running Sancho and Hazard into the ground. In short, I think Reyna will remain as the 3rd/4th option at winger whether Can gets signed or not.... just don't expect that many minutes.
He does. But I think the idea was if Favre goes with two defensive guys in Can and Witsel, someone else would get bumped up higher. I think no matter what, Reyna is in "ease in" mode this year -- he's going to get small dippings either way.