After a pregame injury previously derailed his first Borussia Dortmund start, NYCFC product and US men’s national team hopeful Giovanni Reyna appeared in the starting XI for Saturday’s Bundesliga match against RB Leipzig.
Reyna fulfilled the trust from head coach Lucien Favre, assisting on Erling Haaland’s opener in the 30th minute for the 1-0 lead. The 17-year-old attacking midfielder cushioned a pass centrally into the striker’s path, and the Norwegian made no mistake from close range.
Reyna ultimately played 81 minutes before being subbed off for Leonardo Balerdi. After the match, Haaland offered praise for the young American:
Up to this point, Reyna had appeared in 13 Bundesliga matches for Dortmund. Each appearance came off the bench, with Reyna’s longest stint being a 45 minute runout against Bayern Leverkusen in February. He had one goal and one assist for the club, with both coming in the Champions League or DFB-Pokal.
Reyna developed at NYCFC’s academy before moving to Dortmund in July 2019. He’s made 16 appearances with the US U-17 national team, including a key role at last fall’s FIFA U-17 World Cup.
