USMNT: Giovanni Reyna commitment adds to blossoming youth

Giovanni Reyna has committed his future to the USMNT. That is huge for U.S. soccer, which now sees a blossoming crop of young players emerge like never before.

Fans of the United States Men’s National Team got some great news on Thursday: a commitment from one of the brightest young stars. Giovanni Reyna will play for the USMNT.

There was some speculation on if the youngster would play for the United States or a different country. Thanks to his father, Claudio Reyna, playing for Sunderland, he was able to play for England. Reyna also holds a Portuguese passport and also has ties to Argentina. While he is an American and has played in the American youth teams throughout his development, all three offer more competitive teams to be a part of, which could sway any international footballer.

But thankfully for the USMNT, Reyna will continue to play for the United States. He wouldn’t have it any other way:

"“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."

This is big news for the USMNT. Reyna is one of the brightest stars that the United States possesses. He launched onto the scene this year when, at the age of 17, he started to earn some playing time at Borussia Dortmund. And he sure made an impact with the chances he was given.

He has played in 7 games for the club and became the youngest player to score a goal in DFB-Pokal (German Cup). It was an absolute stunner, weaving past a couple of defenders before curling a finish into the far corner, the perfect illustration of just how skilful a player Reyna is.

Reyna also earned some playing time in the Champions League. You could consider his performance against PSG to be his introduction to the world. He assisted Erling Haaland’s second goal and became the youngest U.S. player to play in a Champions League game and also the youngest U.S. player to provide an assist in a Champions League game.

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The fact that Reyna is doing this at such a young age is incredible. People are crowning him the second coming of Christian Pulisic, naturally given their American nationality and development at Borussia Dortmund. That might be pulling the cart before the horse, but there is no doubt that he has the talent to become a major part of the USMNT starting XI.

With the USMNT recovering from the disaster that was the 2018 World Cup cycle, the need for a refreshing spin forward is tremendous. New talent must arrive, the team must renew itself for a new era, and young players like Reyna have a key role to play. At just 17, he will likely play a part in the next three or four World Cup rosters.

The quality of the players that the USMNT has coming into their prime might shock some people. Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams are regular starters in the Bundesliga, Christian Pulisic is worth £60 million, while the likes of Tim Weah, Josh Sargent, Reggie Cannon and now Reyna are all trying to force their way into the future of the national team.

With arguably the best crop of youngsters the U.S. has ever seen emerging into the senior game, Reyna’s commitment to the USMNT is a massive boost.