Giovanni “Gio” Reyna national team discussion (from YA)

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by gogorath, Jan 18, 2020.

  1. RalleeMonkey

    RalleeMonkey Member+

    Aug 30, 2004
    here
    He's an inch taller than Robben
     
  2. truefan420

    truefan420 Member+

    May 30, 2010
    oakland
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    No matter what she says every inch counts
     
  3. NietzscheIsDead

    NietzscheIsDead Member+

    NO WAR
    United States
    May 31, 2019
    NO WAR
    I’m not sure how someone can watch Reyna and see Robben.

    Its funny how these kids are tabula rasas upon whom we paint what we want.
     
    striker repped this.
  4. Maximum Optimal

    Maximum Optimal Member+

    Jul 10, 2001
    Stylistic Kaka is a better comp if you are looking for a lanky player who had the ability to blow by defenders.
     
  5. yurch10

    yurch10 Member+

    Feb 13, 2004
    You said Reyna was too tall to be quick. This guy pointed out he's an inch taller than Robben, implying simply that height might not be the best indicator of quickness.

    Did he say one thing comparing the two, other than height? He said nothing about their style of play being similar in any way. What a weird connection you made, which I can only think you are doing deliberately (for what reason, I'm still unsure).
     
  6. Pegasus

    Pegasus Member+

    Apr 20, 1999
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He was blazing fast over long distances too. I believe his 100 meter times would have been good. Yes, the injuries did him in and sadly were on purpose. I believe he was one of the ones they changed the tackling from behind rule to an instant red over.
     
  7. Pegasus

    Pegasus Member+

    Apr 20, 1999
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I believe Reyna is much taller than an inch over Robben. Wasn't Robben about 5-7 and Reyna is 6-1ish?
     
  8. ChrisSSBB

    ChrisSSBB Member+

    Jun 22, 2005
    DE
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Robben’s height is listed as 5-11, fwiw. There are photos of him with Lewa which would say that 5-11 is in the ball park.
     
  9. Editor In Chimp

    Editor In Chimp Member+

    Sep 7, 2008
    I still remember Kaka going by Spector in 2009 like a freight train; it never looked like Kaka was running and yet there he was, just blowing past him on the wing.
     
  10. NietzscheIsDead

    NietzscheIsDead Member+

    NO WAR
    United States
    May 31, 2019
    NO WAR
    Yes, I used both Kaka and Clint Dempsey as comparisons for young Gio.

    I am careful on Kaka, because Kaka always had his head up and Gio doesn't do that (yet). Part of what made Kaka great was the unpredictability factor...he could beat you in 360 degrees no matter which direction he was moving.

    Gio is really his own player though. He's smart, dynamic, can change directions quickly, and also has some unpredictability about his play. He can pass, he can dribble, and he can shoot. He's really a HIGH quality prospect. When I look at this guy I see the potential best American player of all time. Does it matter that he doesn't have the lateral agility of Messi, Ronaldo, or Robben? Absolutely not one single bit at all. My favorites have always been smart players who dictate the field with passing and movement...Gio can be one of those guys.
     
    sXeWesley repped this.
  11. ttrevett

    ttrevett Member+

    Apr 2, 2002
    Atlanta, GA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Still would call him a quarter horse as opposed to a miler. His best asset as a runner was his first 20 yards of pace that just blew the doors off defenders. Just a powerful powerful runner. His upper legs were just behemoth.
     
  12. Pegasus

    Pegasus Member+

    Apr 20, 1999
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My recollections are so different. Sometimes though certain people just seem shorter or taller than they really are.
     
  13. sXeWesley

    sXeWesley Member+

    Jun 18, 2007
    Club:
    Portland Timbers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    In this totally pointless comparison discussion I feel compelled to deliver my $0.02 which is that I see Van Persie as the closest approximation.
     
  14. striker

    striker Member+

    Aug 4, 1999
    Pele and Tostao, at least for the pairs that I have watched in live matches.
     
  15. dlokteff

    dlokteff Member+

    Jan 22, 2002
    San Francisco, CA
    Dude just assisted winning goal in Round of 16 match vs. PSG. So...
     
    Patrick167 and Marius Tresor repped this.
  16. yurch10

    yurch10 Member+

    Feb 13, 2004
    That was OK. Still think we need to let him settle in at dortmund. Don't want him missing some training, then maybe the coach forgets about him and he's back with the u19s
     
  17. ifsteve

    ifsteve Member+

    Manchester United
    United States
    Jul 7, 2013
    MS and ID
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Ok? That was ok? That pass was with perfect pace to the exact spot it needed to be to enable Haaland to one touch the ball forward and shoot.

    I don't think there is any chance the coach "forgets about him."
     
    Pegasus repped this.
  18. truefan420

    truefan420 Member+

    May 30, 2010
    oakland
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That’s not how it works in a meritocracy. He will be ok as long as he doesn’t get hurt. That can happen anywhere.
     
  19. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    People keep talking about Gio as slow. But he turns and runs away, with the ball, from Verrati and Kurosawa.
     
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  20. butters59

    butters59 Member+

    Feb 22, 2013
    People never called him slow.
     
  21. Scotty

    Scotty Member+

    Dec 15, 1999
    Toscana
    He certainly played with his head up on this assist:

     
  22. LuckofLichaj

    LuckofLichaj Member+

    Mar 9, 2012
    That was sarcastism
     
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  23. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    Where have you been for the past 30 messages?

     
    sXeWesley repped this.
  24. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    Isn't it getting hilarious how all these negative evaluations just don't seem to hold up? For some reason, people simply refuse to believe Reyna is actually good and happening.

    "Reyna is not fast"
    "Reyna is a ball hog"
    "Reyna plays with his head down"
    "Reyna can't run at defenders like Pulisic"
    "Reyna is not positionally aware"

    I've heard all those before and after this latest game. Taylor from TSS spent 4 podcasts since the Leverkusen game explaining how horrible he was. Yet, Favre, for some reason keeps playing him.

    In this goal, Reyna drops in on one side of the field. Gets the ball, turns, lays it off for Hummels I think (the camera is close up on a PSG sub for some reason), then Reyna sprints across the field, demands the ball from Hummels and gets it, turns, leaves Verrati and Kurosawa in the dust. He then closes on Silva and forces him to take a step away from Haaland to deal with him, where he then immediately releases the ball right to Haaland's dominant foot in stride.

    He was fast.
    He passes exactly when he should have.
    He had his head up.
    He drove away and towards defenders at pace and unsettled a world class CB.
    He moved across the field to take up a position that a world class midfielder couldn't handle.

    That was just one play. He also dribbled through two players and drew a yellow card from the starting RB for PSG and the Belgium NT.
     
    deejay, sXeWesley, Scotty and 1 other person repped this.
  25. nobody

    nobody Member+

    Jun 20, 2000
    Yes, yes, he's still a kid, but Reyna looks to me like the most complete attacking player I've seen coming up for the US ever. He does everything well. He has shown a shot from range, he's beaten people on the dribble, he constantly shows for and demands the ball, he involves his teammates in the attack, he shows vision. He can be aggressive on his own but also shares the ball. Outside of further refinement and the improvements that will come as he grows and gets stronger, faster and mre consistent, I see nothing missing from his skill set. And, he's a different enough player to Pulisic that they should fit together nicely. I simply can't say enough great things about this kid and I don't think it is a shock at all to hear talk of people at BVB considering him more talented than Pulisic.
     
    Patrick167 and USSoccerNova repped this.

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