One could argue Gio Reyna’s shooting isn’t one of his primary attributes. Or you could argue he only pulls out his shooting ability everyone once in a while when he really wants to impress. Either way, the Gio Reyna goal vs Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday was a piledriver of a strike to earn Borussia Dortmund a 1-1 draw.
BVB fell behind early Saturday to a Daichi Kamada goal in the ninth minute. With Erling Haaland still out and midfielder Julian Brandt enlisted as striker, Dortmund couldn’t find an equalizer until the 56th minute.
Jadon Sancho did well to find a darting Reyna run before the American, who turned 18 less than a month ago, danced around one defender to create space for an 18-yard missile into the upper 90.
Gio Reyna Goal vs Eintracht Frankfurt
What a strike by Gio Reyna
He becomes the second youngest American to score two Bundesliga goals after Christian Pulisic. pic.twitter.com/FyDGXe433O— ESPN (@espn) December 5, 2020
Reyna will never score at the rate of his teammate Haaland, who is an out-and-out striker. But as an attacking midfielder/winger, Reyna has the ability to pop up with stunning strikes.
Saturday’s goal was his second in 25 Bundesliga appearances, making him the second-youngest American to score two Bundesliga goals (Christian Pulisic was the youngest). His first came in September and was the product of fine buildup play more so than a powerful finish.
Reyna’s first senior-level goal for Dortmund was back in February, when at 17 he became the youngest player to score in the DFB Pokal. That goal, like Saturday’s, was an absolute worldie. He also netted in the Pokal this season against Druisburg in a 5-0 romp in September and scored his first senior international goal for the U.S. in a 6-2 win over Panama last month, on a pretty free kick.
Of course, Reyna’s primary job is setting up goals for guys like Haaland, and he’s done that well too. Reyna has six assists in 15 Bundesliga and Champions League matches this season. But we don’t mind when he reminds us that he’s got a heckin’ good shot too.
