Tag Archives: Claudio Reyna

Tomas Pochettino Signs with MLS Expansion Side Austin FC as Designated Player

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Tomas Pochettino is going deep in the heart of Texas…

The 25-year-old Argentine soccer player has signed on as a designated player for Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion side Austin FC has signed, the club has announced.

Tomas Pochettino

Pochettino joins forward Cecilio Dominguez as the team’s DP signings. Dominguez, a Paraguay international, moved to the club in August of 2020. 

“Tomas is a player we’ve monitored for almost a year now, and we’re excited to have landed him,” Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff said in a team statement.

Wolff added that Pochettino has “very good qualities to the way that we want to play, he’s an attack-minded midfielder, has very good dynamics in and around the penalty box to combine and to shoot from distance.”

Pochettino came up through the Boca Juniors academy before making his debut for the Buenos Aires giants in 2015. He spent the past three seasons as a standout for Argentine top-division side Talleres.

“He’s very intelligent, in finding spaces in the final third, and in passing. His runs off the ball are very smart. He’s a team player, he’s very responsible as well on the defensive side, and with him being positioned in the middle of the field, that’s important,” Austin FC sporting director Claudio Reyna said.

Austin FC Selects Joe Corona in the 2020 Expansion Draft

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Joe Corona is heading to the Lone Star State…

MLS expansion side Austin FC made five selections in the 2020 Expansion Draft, headlined by the 30-year-old Mexican American soccer player and former LA Galaxy midfielder.

Joe Corona

The acquisitions bring the total number of players on Austin’s roster to 11 ahead of its debut season in 2021.

Austin sporting director Claudio Reyna selected San Jose Earthquakes forward Danny Hoesen with the team’s first selection. In four seasons with San Jose, Hoesen scored 23 goals and added 12 assists in 104 league and playoff appearances, but saw the field just eight times in 2020 after dealing with oblique and adductor issues that eventually required surgery. Combined with the fact that he is out of contract and earned $500,000 in 2019 (the last year that salary data from the MLS Players Association was available), his selection was something of a surprise. But Reyna said that when Hoesen became available he jumped to the top of Austin’s list.

“I’m a big believer in guys, when they get a clean start, come to a new club, work under a new coach, that they get back to their levels,” Reyna said about Hoesen. “A couple years ago he scored many goals and we feel that he’s got that ability to again.”

Austin chose New York Red Bulls midfielder Jared Stroud with its second selection. Stroud, 24, made 20 appearances for the Red Bulls in 2020, 11 of them starts and recorded two assists. He had spent two seasons with New York Red Bulls II in the USL Championship.

With its third pick, Austin selected Nashville goalkeeper Brady Scott. A U.S. youth international, Scott spent three years with German side FC Koln, spending most of his time playing in the 3. Liga with the club’s reserve team. He was acquired by Nashville last August, and then immediately loaned out to Sacramento Republic in the USL Championship where he made two appearances.

Corona was chosen with the fourth pick, and is expected to provide Austin with a steady presence in the center of midfield. Corona has experience abroad having played in Mexico for Club Tijuana, Club America, Veracruz and Dorados. He spent the last two seasons with the Galaxy making 49 league and cup appearances, scoring two goals. Corona has also made 23 appearances with the U.S. national team, scoring three goals.

“He’s a calm player, an experienced player,” said Austin manager Josh Wolff about Corona. “He’ll be good in the buildup, he’s comfortable on the ball, and I think he’s a facilitator who will be able to circulate the ball side to side.”

Austin chose Orlando City defender Kamal Miller with its fifth selection, but immediately traded him to the Montreal Impact in exchange for $225,000 in General Allocation Money and the 11th overall pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft.

Gio Reyna Among 10 Players Who Could Make US International Debut at Wales

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Gio Reyna will be representing the United States…

United States Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNST) manager Gregg Berhalter has called up the uncapped 17-year-old half-Argentine American soccer player, as well as an injured Christian Pulisic and England youth international Yunus Musah, 17, in his 24-man roster for a pair of friendlies later this month.

Giovanni Reyna

The youthful roster — the average age is 21 years, 300 days — is comprised entirely of players who ply their trade abroad.

Reyna, the Borussia Dortmund midfielder and son of former United States captain Claudio Reyna, is one of 10 uncapped players to make the squad.

 

Alongside Reyna and Musah — who can represent Ghana as well — Internacional‘s Johnny Cardoso was also given the nod.

 

Born to Brazilian parents, Cardoso is the first player in 24 years to earn a U.S. call-up while playing for a club outside of CONCACAF or UEFA. Another dual national is Telstar forward Sebastian Soto, who besides the U.S. is eligible to represent Mexico and Chile.

Among the other call-ups are a record nine players participating in the UEFA Champions League, including RB Leipzig‘s Tyler Adams, Barcelona‘s Sergino Dest, Juventus‘ Weston McKennie and Chelsea‘s Pulisic.

Pulisic had been a doubt for the roster after injuring his hamstring during the warmup of last weekend’s game against Burnley. However, at a news conference ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League game against Rennes, Chelsea manager Frank Lampard said that a scan of the injury revealed that it was “very minor” but that he wouldn’t play on Wednesday.

“We are excited about getting this group back together,” Berhalter said in a statement. “I’m proud of the way the players have handled the challenging times — they really stuck together. We have built a solid foundation, and now we get a chance to continue our work together ahead of what is going to be a critical 12 months for our team.”

The USMNT will play Wales, who will be without manager Ryan Giggs, first on November 12 before travelling to Austria to play Panama on Nov. 16.

The roster’s average age is 21 years, 300 days. Starting goalkeeper Zack Steffen, now a backup Manchester City following a loan to Fortuna Dusseldorf, is on the roster for the first time 2019. Lille forward Tim Weah, a son of former FIFA player of the Year and Liberia President George Weah, is with the U.S. for the first time since 2018 after recovering from a string of injuries.

Due to the conditions related to the pandemic, the matches will be played without fans in the stadiums. The participants have received an exemption from quarantine provided to professional sports organizations.

The match against Wales will be the first match for the USMNT since February when they beat Costa Rica 1-0.

The Americans have not played on a FIFA date with most of their player pool available since a 4-0 victory over Cuba in the CONCACAF Nations League on Nov. 19 last year. Exhibitions in March at the Netherlands and Wales were canceled, along with the CONCACAF Nations League final four in June and the start of World Cup qualifying in September.

The players will report to camp starting on Nov. 8.

USMNT squad (caps / goals)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge/BEL; 4/0), Chituru Odunze (Leicester City/ENG; 0/0), Zack Steffen (Manchester City/ENG; 17/0)

DEFENDERS (7): John Brooks (Wolfsburg/GER; 38/3), Reggie Cannon (Boavista/POR; 10/0), Sergino Dest (Barcelona/ESP; 3/0), Matt Miazga (Anderlecht/BEL; 18/1), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 40/1), Chris Richards (Bayern Munich/GER; 0/0), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 7/0)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig/GER; 10/1), Johnny Cardoso (Internacional/BRA;0/0), Richard Ledezma (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 0/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 19/6), Yunus Musah (Valencia/ESP; 0/0), Owen Otasowie (Wolverhampton/ENG; 0/0)

FORWARDS (8): Konrad de la Fuente (Barcelona/ESP; 0/0), Nicholas Gioacchini (Caen/FRA; 0/0), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 34/14), Uly Llanez (Heerenveen/NED; 1/1), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 0/0), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen/GER; 12/5), Sebastian Soto (Telstar/NED; 0/0), Tim Weah (Lille/FRA; 8/1)

Austin FC Signs Rodney Redes as the MLS Expansion Side’s First Player

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Rodney Redes is heading to the Lone Star State…

MLS expansion side Austin FC has signed the 20-year-old Paraguayan forward as its first player, for a transfer fee that sources tell ESPN is $2.75 million.

Rodney Redes

Redes is on the books of Paraguayan side Guarani, and will remain with them before joining up with Austin ahead of its debut season in 2021.

“It is an honor to join Austin FC as the first player signing in club history, and I am excited for the opportunity to advance my career in Major League Soccer,” said Redes. “I look forward to representing Austin in competition and in the community. I’ve been watching Major League Soccer closely, and I am very excited to begin working with coach [Josh] Wolff to further develop my skills in a global league that has helped other Paraguayan players reach new heights.”

Born in La Colmena, Paraguay, Redes has scored 12 goals in 82 league and cup appearances since making his professional debut with Guarani back in 2018.

Redes has spent time as a forward as well as a wide attacking player, and was off to an auspicious start in 2020, scoring three goals during the qualifying rounds of the 2020 Copa Libertadores to help Guarani reach the group stage of the tournament.

He had also scored twice in six league appearances before the sport in South America was shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The words I use to best describe Rodney are versatility and impactfulness,” Austin FC Head coach Josh Wolff said. “Rodney is a young player with qualities that can strongly influence any match as a result of his positional flexibility, eye for goal, and clear finishing quality.

“I am very pleased that we have secured a rising talent who demonstrates goal scoring ability in both the Copa Libertadores as well as his domestic league, and I believe that our supporters will appreciate his hunger and willingness to make Austin FC successful.”

Redes is the first player to be signed by Austin sporting director Claudio Reyna, and he’ll likely be signed to a young Designated Player contract.

Given that Redes will be 21 by the time he suits up for Austin, his hit to the salary budget will be $200,000 based on this year’s MLS roster rules.

“Rodney is a dynamic, attacking player, and we are proud to welcome him as the first signing in the history of Austin FC,” Reyna said.

“Rodney is precisely the sort of player we intend to attract to Austin FC. At a very young age, he has already registered strong performances and collected valuable big-game experience in major competitions. I am pleased that we capitalized on this brief July transfer window to sign Rodney, and our staff looks forward to working closely with him.”

Wolff added: “[Redes is] a player that I think fits really well with what Claudio and I envisage this team being about. For him to be our first signing is a good indication of what we want to be on the field and off the field. He’s a young, hungry, dynamic player and I think the more I watched him and the more I’ve interacted with him the more you realize he’s a very focused young man.

“When he plays, he plays with real commitment, real passion and his Technical qualities are very clear. He’s got very powerful running, he’s a low profile guy, good change of speed with and without the ball and most importantly he’s very goal-orientated.”

Gio Reyna to Join US Men’s National Soccer Team

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Gio Reynais movin’ on up…

United States manager Gregg Berhalter has confirmed that the 17-year-old part-Argentine American soccer player and Borussia Dortmund midfielder will be called up to the senior team for the March international window.

Gio Reyna

Earlier, Reyna was named to a 50-man provisional roster for the Olympicqualifying tournament, which spans beyond the March international window. But Berhalter, speaking at a reporters’ roundtable during MLS Media Day, stated that Dortmund wouldn’t allow Reyna to be released for the Olympic qualifying tournament, and that his performances warranted getting called up to the full team.

Reyna, the son of former U.S. internationalClaudio Reyna, last week became the youngest American to play in Champions League at 17 years and 97 dayswith an impressive performance that included an assist in BVB‘s 2-1 home victory over Paris Saint-Germain.

“We want our younger players performing and playing at a high level, and [Reyna] is doing that,” said Berhalter. “And as a result of him doing that he gets an opportunity with the first team.”

Reyna has made immense strides this season, even as the U.S.Under-17team exited the group stage at the FIFA U17 World Cuplast fall. Berhalter chalked that up to Reyna finding a rhythm within the Dortmund team. The previous season Reyna had to wait until he received his European passport before he could begin playing official games for the club at youth level.

“It was a very choppy year for him in terms of his development,” said Berhalter. “And I think we saw some of that at the U17 [World Cup]. You could tell he didn’t have rhythm.

This year Reyna has had more of an opportunity to settle in and rise through the ranks of the team.

“You can see [Reyna] has rhythm now and he has a good understanding of what the team wants to do. And they’re using him in a way where you know they’re not asking him to take full responsibility in terms of he doesn’t have to carry a team. He’s playing a role, and he’s executing his role.”

The result has been that Reyna’s qualities have shown through.

“[Reyna’s] position when he gets the ball in the pocket, his awareness to turn and his efficiency when he’s turning his excellent,” said Berhalter. “He doesn’t waste any touches turning, he turns right away. The second thing is his ball security under pressure is phenomenal.”

Now Berhalter must try to figure out Reyna’s best position, although he concedes it’s a nice dilemma to face.

“I can see [Reyna] playing as a winger. I can see him playing potentially as a No. 10 and a 4-3-3,” said Berhalter. “He can play a number of different positions. I like him being able to affect the game on the offensive side, similar to Christian[Pulisic]. They’ve been using him on the left. He can also play on the right so I think he gives you flexibility.”

Gio Reyna Becomes Youngest American to Play in the Champions League

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Gio Reyna’s name has been etched in the soccer history books…

The 17-year-old part-Argentine American soccer player made his Champions League debut on Tuesday for Borussia Dortmund against Paris Saint-Germain, becoming the youngest American to play in Champions League at 17 years and 97 days.

Gio Reyna

Reyna was promoted to the Dortmund senior squad in January after only having joined the club’s academy in the summer of 2019 and has since gained game time in every match. 

A member of the U.S. squad at last year’s Under-17 World Cup, Reyna made his senior team debut for Dortmund on January 18 in a Bundesliga match at Augsburg.

Reyna had already scored in Dortmund’s German Cupdefeat at Werder Bremenearlier this month, but was instrumental for his side on Tuesday as he set up Erling Haaland’s second goal in a 2-1 first-leg win over PSG.

At 17 years, 3 months. 5 days, Reyna bettered the mark for youngest American set by Gedion Zelalemwhen he played for Arsenalat 17 years, 317 days old. Chelsea star Christian Pulisicwas four days shy of his 18th birthday when he made his Champions League debut while with Dortmund in a group phase opener at Legia Warsawin 2016. Pulisic started and assisted on Dortmund’s fifth goal in a 6-0 win.

His father, USMNTgreat Claudio Reyna, appeared in eight Champions League group phase matches for Glasgow Rangersin 1999 and 2000 and also scored a key goal in a Champions League qualifier in 1999 against UEFA Cupchampion Parma. Claudio scored eight goals in 112 appearances for the U.S. from 1994 to 2006, appearing in three World Cups. Gio Reyna’s mother, Danielle Egan Reyna, scored one goal in six appearances for the U.S. women’s side in 2003.

Speaking to reporters after Tuesday’s match, Gio Reyna said he was proud the team got such an important victory and of his assist to Haaland for the winner, only two minutes after Neymar levelled the score.

“A lot of emotions are going through my head right now,” he said. “To get my Champions League debut against Paris was a dream come true for me. To get an assist was even better.

“We knew Paris are such a good team. And the result is the most important thing. The way we fought as a team was so impressive,” he said. “Our work ethic and our will to win games really showed tonight.”

“It’s a super pass from Reyna,” Dortmund coach Lucien Favresaid of the ball that set up Haaland’s goal. “He plays it in brilliantly. He orients the ball very, very quickly.