Borussia Dortmund's Gio Reyna named 2020 U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year
Borussia Dortmund and USMNT teenage sensation Gio Reyna has been named 2020 U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year following the likes of ex-BVB man Christian Pulisic and Werder Bremen striker Josh Sargent in scooping the award.
Reyna, 18, who was nominated for the honour in 2018 and 2019, broke into the Dortmund first team in the second half of last season, and has gone on to make 39 competitive appearances in the calendar year, scoring five goals and claiming seven assists.
He overtook Pulisic as Dortmund's youngest UEFA Champions League debutant when he appeared in last season's Round of 16 against Paris Saint-Germain, and also became the youngest American to play — and register an assist — in European club football's premier competition.
Watch: Gregg Berhalter on Gio Reyna and Chris Richards
He scored his maiden Dortmund first-team goal in the DFB Cup in February, but opened his Bundesliga account on the opening day of the 2020/21 campaign in the Matchday 1 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach.
He then made history by becoming the first 17-year-old — and the first Dortmund player since Marco Reus in December 2016 — to tally a hat-trick of assists in a Bundesliga game as BVB put Augsburg to the sword 4-0.
With three goals and four assists after Matchday 13, Reyna is the teenager who has been involved in most top-flight goals in any of Europe's five leading leagues having established himself as a first-team regular with the Black-Yellows this season, and earned a new, bumper contract.
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His club performances earned him recognition with the USA senior team and he made his debut on 12 November against Wales as he became one of only 13 players to earn their first cap before the age of 18.
Just four days later, Reyna became the third-youngest goalscorer in USMNT history by netting a free-kick in a 6-2 win over Panama.
The U.S. Soccer Player of the Year awards are voted for by respective National Team coaches, National Team players who have earned a cap in 2020, members of the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors, U.S. Soccer Athletes’ Council, National Women’s Soccer League head coaches (for the USWNT awards) and American soccer league (MLS and USL) head coaches (for the USMNT awards), select media members and former players and administrators.
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