Bottom line: time is running out for Gio. I doubt straight DNPs will get him the callup. Balo has 18 G/A on the season. His career high is 25.
My son and I had this exact conversation after the game yesterday and I think he nailed it. And its just not BM but seems like the last several years its the same scenario. He only gets in when his team is down by exactly 1 goal mid way to late in the second half. Now to be fair yesterday was especially different since they were down 3 goals by the time he'd have been slated to get in PLUS they were down to 10 men.
I totally agree with the premise, though. After every Gladbach game people say "Yeah, but that wasn't the right spot for him." What is the right spot? I don't get it. He's a soccer player sitting on the bench of a soccer game. And, by the way, a bunch of people don't have Scally in their projected WC rosters. He's played 2000+ minutes for the same damn team this year. We have guys that start regularly in the Bundesliga who aren't going to make it. James Sands, for instance. Being a breathing human being on a Bundesliga bench doesn't get you an automatic ticket to a USMNT roster in 2026. If it did, we'd be talking about Damion Downs, who is playing for Hamburg. Cole Campbell played for Hoffenheim last weekend. Lennard Maloney does get on the field for Mainz. I understand why we want to give Gio the benefit of the doubt. He's been impactful for the USMNT in the past. The past is the past, though. The past is the past. We're looking at what players can provide to us NOW in the spring/summer of 2026.
Is Gio this generations Freddy Adu? If so, Gio doesn't have the advantage of not having any comparable players in the pool to compete against. Freddy's technical ability and talent were never in question. He was making USMNT rosters simply off of that for years, despite not playing consistently at club level. The player pool at that time didn't have another player that had the ability and talent of Freddy. Gio doesn't have that advantage.
I tend to think of him as a rich man’s Adu. I could see him eventually in USL Premier if that gets off the ground.
Adu and Gio each were not exactly known for being the hardest training, most professional players out there. In each case, teams were intrigued enough to sign the player, but coaches grew tired of the player.
There is a sliver of a window perhaps for Gio next match, as one of BMG's central midfielders got a red last match. I admit I dont know the similarity between the player ejected, and if they'd go with another bench player instead. Hopefully Gio can get in there.
Haji with another goal, cant stop wont stop. Coventry up 2-0 over Bristol City Venezia up 1-0 early in their game, and Monza picked up a welcome loss earlier. Hopefully this can hold and Busio and Venezia can continue building a buffer. and now Musuh STARTS for Atalanta against udenise , do we have a breakthrough??? and now George Campbell is starting to bang then in fir relegation threatened west brom , 1-1 final there against blades and baggies just outside relegation zone
I think we're doing a little bit of a disservice to Gio by comparing him to Freddy. Gio, when he broke out, was doing the business for Dortmund at a very high level (20/21ish). Injuries have taken their toll. But anyway, in the Bundesliga so far today.....................big win for Hamburg over Wolfsburg. Damion Downs came on in the 77th minute. Noahkai Banks went 85 minutes as Augsbrug lost to Leipzig 2-1. Lennard Maloney stayed on the bench as Mainz drew with Stuttgart 2-2. Cole Campbell stayed on the bench as Hoffenheim beat Heidenheim 4-2. Malik Tillman came off the bench at halftime as Leverkusen drew with Freiburg 3-3. The Bundesliga standings are an interesting look. Both Bremen and Wolfsburg in the bottom three.
A pretty mixed performance. Got beat a few too many times, lost the aerial duel for the flick on on the goal (some talk he hesitated or shouldn’t have stepped).
Links of Peyton Miller as a Dest replacement are creeping in from PSV news vine, and so is liverpools Figueroa
I don't think so. Freddy flat out admitted he didn't take training seriously like at all. There's the famous Jimmy Conrad story about how at the pre world cup training camp a teenage Freddy Adu had the worst fitness in the camp. Now there have been rumors about Gio not approaching rehab from injuries the right way (and I will preface and say these came from Jesse Marsch), but I don't think there's been much if any criticism of Gio in training... though I don't think it's unfair to say that when he is healthy Gio hasn't developed consistency in the areas that get players game time (pressing, off ball movement)
We do not, it was unfortunately the story of Musah's Italian Adventure where he was anonymous after a couple good showings and got pulled at halftime
Did Adu really make that many USMNT rosters? I only recall him playing a role in one Gold Cup. Not much else. Edit: Looking it up Reyna already has twice as many caps. 34 to 17.
He had 17 caps but not very many memorable ones. Debut in a 2006 January Camp (played less than 10 minutes) Played in 6 friendlies from late 2007 to mid 2008 (started 2) Started both of our World Cup Qualifying Playoff Games against Barbados in 2008 In the pre hex qualifying round, he only played 14 minutes in our first 4 games but did start the last 2 after we'd already clinched a spot in the final round His lone hex match in that qualifying campaign was a 27 minute off the bench appearance in a 3-1 loss to Costa Rica. He then was an unused sub in the Confederations Cup Run, he played 2 matches in the group stage of the B team Gold Cup, and then didn't play again for 2 years until his last USMNT matches at The 2011 Gold Cup
The comparison is one of very technical, very heralded players who weren't known for being the hardest workers and who subsequently flamed out.
Yeah I get that, but the description of him making several USMNT rosters because it was easier back then doesn't really bear out. Adu did far less with what should've been a greater advantage than Gio had. I think the JOB comparison is a little more apt. Gio had a legit, though very brief peak.
Pepi scored today: Pepi putting PSV up 2-1 on AZ late in the game https://t.co/ynfUqNbpg9— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) March 7, 2026
George Campbell makes the EFL's top 5 goals of the day (so does Notts County's Ollie Norburn). https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1DeHrCoji2/ Made up for his earlier own goal.
He had to be helped to the locker room by TWO people. That's gotta be a really bad hamstring injury. Seems no bueno for his WC chances at first look.