Reyna's First Professional Goal

On This Day in 2020, the Teenager Opened His Account with a Stunning Finish

Just 19 days after his 17th birthday, Giovanni Reyna made his Bundesliga debut for Borussia Dortmund as a 72nd-minute substitute in a 5-3 win over Augsburg on January 18, 2020. The son of a former U.S. national team captain and former USWNT midfielder became the youngest American to appear in the Bundesliga, breaking Christian Pulisic's record.

Growing up, Reyna was a multi-sport athlete who played AAU basketball until age 14, but his soccer talent was undeniable. Like Pulisic before him, Reyna joined Dortmund before turning 18 thanks to a European passport - in his case, Portuguese citizenship through his mother's family.

On February 4th, Reyna scored his first professional goal stunningly during Dortmund's DFB-Pokal Round of 16 match against Werder Bremen. After entering as a 66th-minute substitute for Dan-Axel Zagadou with Dortmund trailing 3-1, Reyna made an immediate impact. Shortly after Erling Haaland pulled one back, Reyna collected the ball and embarked on a mesmerizing dribble past several Bremen defenders before curling a right-footed shot into the upper corner. The goal made him the youngest scorer in German Cup history, though Bremen would hold on for a 3-2 victory.

"He's much more of an athlete than I was, much more of a goal scorer. He's very technical and has a good feel for the game," Claudio said of his son.

Dortmund manager Lucien Favre was also impressed, saying, "In training, you can see that he has something special. If you can't see that, you're blind." His teammate Haaland nicknamed him the "American Dream" because "he has a huge future in front of him."

Reyna's rapid rise continued two weeks later when he became the third-youngest player to appear in a Champions League knockout match against Paris Saint-Germain. He made the most of his opportunity, assisting Haaland's winner nine minutes after coming on as a substitute.

"It's crazy at times to think all my friends are in high school back home, and I'm in Germany playing professional Fussball right now in the Bundesliga," Reyna told BVB's TV channel. His promising form earned him his first planned Bundesliga start in the Revierderby against Schalke in May, but he suffered a calf injury in warmups.

Despite being eligible for England (birthplace), Portugal (through his mother's family), and Argentina (through his father), Reyna committed his international future to the United States in early 2020. "I'm aware of the rumors, but it's quite clear for me. I only want to play for the United States. That's my home country," he said.

U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter praised Reyna's development, particularly noting, "When he gets the ball in the pocket, his awareness to turn and efficiency is excellent. He doesn't waste any touches to turn. His ball security under pressure is phenomenal." Though the pandemic would delay his senior debut, Reyna was set to join a promising young core of Americans playing for Europe's top clubs.