It didn’t take Gio Reyna long to make an impact upon his return from injury as the Borussia Dortmund winger set up the match-winner against Mainz on Wednesday.
After returning from a three-week injury layoff Sunday in a 1–0 win over Arminia, Reyna came off the bench in the 69th minute against Mainz. With Dortmund tied in a goalless deadlock in the 87th minute, Reyna stepped up to take a free kick and found Axel Witsel at the back post for what wound up being the game-winning goal.
The moment could prove to be an important one for Borussia Dortmund. After league-leading Bayern Munich dropped points over the weekend with a 1–1 draw, Dortmund has cut the defending champion’s lead atop the Bundesliga to four points with eight matches left, including a trip to Bayern on April 23.
The assist is also a promising sign for Reyna and U.S. men’s national team fans. It was his first goal contribution since August after the 19-year-old missed five months due to a hamstring injury suffered in World Cup qualifying.
Following Dortmund’s trip to Köln this weekend, Reyna is expected to join the USMNT for its final round of World Cup qualifiers, starting with its March 24 trip to face Mexico at the Estadio Azteca. Gregg Berhalter’s roster will be revealed on Thursday evening.
