They didn't like it but that isn't a deal breaker as he was pulling for a former Dortmund player. Wasn't the brightest but he didn't say anything derogatory about BVB.
More than a former Dortmund player. One of his best friends. When asked who his best friend outside of Real Madrid is, Bellingham replied..............Gio Reyna. So Gio's "crime" was congratulating one of his best friends on winning the Champions League. I’ve not seen him for a while” - Jude Bellingham names USMNT star as best friend outside Real Madrid (sportskeeda.com)
I dunno if Gio impressed Sahin but a week or 2 ago it came out that Gio moving was dependent on if Dortmund could sign Rayan Cherki... the move fell through. Not saying Gio won't do well or hasn't, honestly he joined team so late it's hard to really know, but the failed transfer us the big reason for no move. Now up to Gio to show he's ready for the next step
I think the Belgian Jupiler League is no better than MLS. Deeper rosters, but the starting 11s are no higher than MLS. Gio should go to a mid-table Spanish or Italian or Eredivisie side, i.e., somewhere he can play for 90 minutes each game. He should work on his flexibility, fitness, strength, tactics.
Gio's already shown he can play at a Bundesliga level. He doesn't need to go to friggin' Belgium. In 2020/2021 he played over 2500 minutes for Dortmund. Then the injury problems hit. From what I've seen with the USMNT, he looks healthy. So now he needs to really reestablish himself at the Bundesliga level. Do I think he can do it? Yes. I personally don't judge Gio based on the Forest loan. Maybe I'm naive and delusional. Its possible.
90 minutes each game in mid table Spain or Italy would put him up there in one of the more notable Yank Abroad seasons of all time. Not sure I’m expecting that after the last few years.
Gallagher deal fell thru at Atleti. Opening for Gio? I've said before Wolfsburg could take a step up with Gio in the squad.
Transfers in general are increasingly falling through at frankly a stunning rate. The “don’t believe it til you see them in the jersey” is truer than ever
That just shows how low our player pool has fallen. Of course I did not mean literally 90 every game, but rather a consistent starter who plays most of the match. Getting subbed at 85' is not relevant. Players who do not consistently start for their clubs should not really be called up to the National Team, IMO. Berhalter had to lower his standards to cope with a lot of non-starting players in the pool and that just underscores the failing of our youth development.
Gio needs to go where he will play. If that's Belgium so be it. Sitting on the bench in a better league is only a money maker. If you want to play then dammit go to a team that's going to play you.
Its funny that after the Berhalter/Reyna kerfuffle, now its swung the complete opposite way on these boards. Now the board is blaming Berhalter for making Reyna such an important part of the team in his second tenure. Gio actually was one of the USMNT's better players in 2023/2024. Berhalter played him a lot because he did deliver. Assisted both goals in the 2022/3 Nations League final against Canada. Then he had 2 assists against Jamaica in the semi and a goal against Mexico in the final of the subsequent version of the Nations League. He wasn't the only guy in the group that didn't have a great Copa America. But prior to Copa America, one can easily argue that Reyna was one of our best players this cycle. In terms of ON FIELD impact. I happen to think Dortmund is going to play Reyna. They haven't replaced Reus. Gio played in pre-season and he'll likely play plenty this season. Unless, of course, Dortmund signs somebody while the window is open.
The idea that our youth development is failing because our players aren't getting 90 minutes/game after being bought by Chelsea or Arsenal is pretty wacky. Our players used to get bought by Scandinavian clubs.
Replacing Rues is his destiny! Being that type of player for the USMNT is very possible, almost probable. Perhaps all the tough love at BVB was just that, tough love. It is Germany, you know.
That unfortunately does discourage players from going to higher leagues. I don't entirely disagree, but it's a lot easier to implement when your player pool is better.
If anything, you understate it. A huge portion of the fanbase was blasting Berhalter for not making a coming-off-injury (and actually still injured) 19-year old the center of the entire offense and instead focusing on that hack, Christian Pulisic. Reyna's a very good player. As you note, he's been good for us most of the last year. But if he's going to improve, he likely needs to play at club. If that's a step down for a year, so be it. It took Christian years to come to terms with taking a pay cut to go to a club that wanted to make him a focus, and I think he's probably very happy with that decision. I don't know if Reyna's focus on the EPL is money driven, status driven or language driven, but he needs to find a place where he's the presumptive starter.
I'm with ya. I just don't think he needs to take the drastic step down that folks are suggesting on these boards. We heard the types of clubs that have been interested in him. Marseille, Sevilla, and that sort of thing. There's a lot in between Dortmund and the Jupiler League. I'm not sure he needs to take a step down at all. He may in fact play a lot for Dortmund this season. Maybe Reyna will be this year's McKennie.
He has been MIA for nearly 4 years. Playing in Belgium would literally be a step up for him. Time to wake up, take the L, and make some major professional changes.
He's not already on another club, so somewhere there's something broken. I know Dortmund has a new coach, but this seems like a terrible decision that I suspect is driven by short term money or status concerns. And I have zero confidence in Claudio's advice. If he has to go down a decent way to get it done, he should. Not for the USMNT, but for himself. He's going to rot away if he doesn't both actually improve in his weaknesses and get a chance to show what he can do. If we take off the American glasses, there's tons and tons of very talented players who simply sit on benches for much of their career, either for cash or status or because that seems easier. It's the set up of much of club soccer -- the benches of top clubs could often be stars elsewhere but make less money. I think it's a waste.
I guess the optimistic case for staying is that Edin Terzic is really the only manager there that's ever clearly refused to start him, and now he's gone. (Favre and Rose both seemed to view him as a starter, although between his injuries and their relatively short spells in charge, neither one had much time with him.)
He is going to have a new coach with the US who may not put up with the shenanigans or the lack of club minutes that Berhalter tolerated. Reynas role is not guaranteed with the US either.
I'd love to see Gio move somewhere he will play regularly, but I'd rather he stay at BVB than take another loan like Forrest where he sat on a lesser team's bench. A step down to ensure playing time wouldn't be a bad idea if he is able financially. If he makes a move, it needs to be a move to a team that values him and will play him or he may as well stay put. I think Gio is a good player that should be able to fit in somewhere and be a regular fixture. As mentioned, he has been a fixture at the Bundesliga level before his injuries hit. But he still has to take that step back into regular game time before he can really progress. Thing is, he's still young and even another season or two on the fringes won't ruin his chances of eventually becoming a significant player. Plenty of great players don't really do much until 23 or so. It is just disappointing in relation to the trajectory he showed when he was a teenager that he's now 21 and seems further from a prominent role than he was a few years ago and the US would really like to see him hit closer to his potential before 2026 for the World Cup. He's still got time to get it together, but the clock will keep ticking and eventually he needs to get on the field.
Or he hasn't moved because Dortmund and Sahin has an intention to use him. As they have in the preseason. We'll see. Plenty of time left in the transfer window. I see completely and totally different tweet coming form supposed "insiders" of BVB. Some say that Sahin has always rated Rayna and has plans for him. Others say Sahin and Dortmund have already moved on. I have no idea what the real story is. None. One thing I do know is that in a US uniform, Reyna has produced in 2023/2024. This whole dialogue that Reyna can't play in Bundesliga and has to go to Belgium? I don't see it. Maybe he can't stay in Dortmund. But there's a lot in between Dortmund and Belgium. A lot.
What shenanigans? There have been no shenanigans with Reyna in this cycle. For all I can tell, he's been a perfect teammate and soldier in a US uniform. Its Weah who inexplicably got a red card against Panama that was the primary reason we were knocked out of the Copa America. It was Dest that got red-carded against T&T that put that whole Nations League at risk. I can keep going. Did Gio Reyna sleep with your girlfriend or something? What's the deal?