Giovanni Reyna scores first US national team goal in Panama friendly

Gio Reyna - USMNT - vs. Wales

Gio Reyna has his much-anticipated first international goal, as the 18-year-old Borussia Dortmund attacker opened his US men's national team account with a first-half free-kick strike in his country's friendly against Panama on Monday.


With the Yanks trailing 1-0 after conceding an early goal to Panama's Jose Fajardo, Reyna lined up a dangerous free kick from just outside the area and bent it around the wall, past the goalkeeper and into the net for the equalizing tally in the 19th minute.

The debut goal comes in Reyna's second career senior cap, after he picked up his first in the USMNT's 0-0 draw against Wales on Thursday. The young attacker is widely considered one of the most talented up-and-coming players in the pool, so to see him find the scoresheet in his second match was no doubt an exciting sight for head coach Gregg Berhalter.


Reyna's strike seemed to galvanize the US after they conceded the early opener, as he also played a role in the USMNT's second goal of the match just four minutes later, laying a ball off to Ulysses Llanez for a shot that was eventually smashed home on the rebound by Nicholas Gioacchini, who would strike again in the 26th minute to stake the USMNT to a commanding 3-1 first-half advantage.