da aposte e ganhe： USMNT star Gio Reyna came off the bench as Borussia Dortmund scraped past Newcastle in the Champions League
da poker： Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Reyna starts match on bench, againSubbed on in 78th minuteDortmund win 1-0Getty WHAT HAPPENED?
Felix Nmecha's lovely first-time strike stole the headlines as Borussia Dortmund earned their first win of the Champions League group stage, with a brilliant three points on the road against Newcastle. The German international scored the lone goal of the match on a rainy Tuesday evening.
Dortmund shotstopper Gregor Kobel may deserve the praise on the night, though, as he made an astonishing save in the 57th minute to deny striker Callum Wilson. The England international replaced an injured Alexander Isak just 17 minutes into the match, but never found his groove.
It's an incredibly important three points earned for Terzic's side, but they leave the Toon's ground knowing they were lucky to get by without conceding. Caught flat in the attack more often than not, the Black and Yellow lacked a connecting presence from their midfield to attack. It's time to give Reyna that connecting role, with his first start of the season.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Having just returned from injury towards late September, Reyna made his first Dortmund appearance of the season on October 7, but has yet to start a match for his club this season. German international and club legend, 34-year-old Marco Reus, has been occupying the 10 role for Terzic's side, but the Bundesliga legend simply cannot keep up with these performances week-in and week-out.
It's time Dortmund give Reyna, who has provided a spark off the bench for them of late, a starting role to see what he can do. The Black and Yellow have scraped by with narrow victories of late, with this being their second-consecutive 1-0 win in all competitions. Terzic's side, however, now sit second in their UCL group, which is an excellent showing in this year's so-called Group of Death.
With this being the halfway point of the group stages, there's no doubt that the competition is set to heat up.
Getty ImagesUSMNT IMPACT
Lert's be honest, if there was a match to start Reyna in, it was Tuesday's tie against Newcastle. He looked brilliant for the USMNT in their friendlies against both Germany and Ghana, and then came off the bench on the weekend to provide an incredible spark for the Bundesliga side in a narrow 1-0 victory. His benching has to be disappointing for Berhalter and the USMNT, because they need Reyna to get consistent minutes at this level. There is nothing better than a UCL night under the lights for a player to find himself again.
For Reyna, it's all about fighting for a starting role now. He needs to get going, and fast, as the USMNT are next back in action on November 16 in a clash vs Trinidad & Tobago.
GettyGOAL'S RATING
Gio Reyna (N/A): Reyna was a 78th-minute sub, and by that point, Terzic had parked the bus. Hard to judge any attacking player when tactics like that are implemented.