With just 12 minutes plus stoppage time remaining in Borussia Dortmund`s final Club World Cup group stage match, coach Niko Kovac seemed content with the job done. Dortmund held a comfortable 1-0 lead over South Korea`s Ulsan HD, ensuring top spot in Group F. As key starters were substituted to rest before the knockout rounds, fresh players entered, including Carney Chukwuemeka and Gio Reyna.
For Reyna, these 12 minutes marked his first appearance in the Club World Cup and his longest stretch on the field for Dortmund since a brief 26-minute cameo back in April. Given the limited time, Reyna had little opportunity to make an impact, a point Kovac addressed post-match.
“Gio, and also Juju [Julien Duranville], got their initial minutes in this Club World Cup,” Kovac stated. “We aim to give playing time to every player, naturally. We wanted the win, and we delivered a high-level performance in the first half, so I was ready to bring on new players. Our midfield has significant competition. We have a strong group of players, and Gio is part of that. He possesses good qualities, but looking at the others, I believe they are slightly further along at this moment.”
Kovac`s direct comments reflect the current state of the 22-year-old`s career. Five years after his breakthrough for Dortmund and the U.S. men’s national team, little new has been learned about his capabilities as a professional. While flashes of brilliance as an attacking midfielder are easy to recall, he has yet to build a consistent body of work to fully prove his potential. This frustrating pattern has extended to the national team, where Reyna has been just one player in a squad that has felt stuck, despite a coaching change – until now.
The Summer of Malik Tillman
Mauricio Pochettino`s summer experiment with a less experienced Gold Cup squad has yielded one significant positive: the rise of Malik Tillman.
The 23-year-old isn`t entirely new to the scene, having earned his first cap three years ago and establishing himself with back-to-back Eredivisie champions PSV. Goal contributions are a hallmark of his play, with 25 goals and 17 assists across all competitions for the Dutch side over the past two seasons. His game also boasts versatility, allowing him to handle various attacking midfield tasks, whether operating near the penalty box or driving the ball forward.
Tillman, like Reyna, possesses a skillset that could address issues in the USMNT`s unsettled midfield, but their situations differ, not least because Tillman has significant club minutes. Tillman appears to be a key beneficiary of Pochettino`s arrival, being deployed in a role that might remind some of how the Argentine used Christian Eriksen or Dele Alli at Tottenham Hotspur. This approach has worked wonders this month, with Tillman scoring three goals and assisting one in his last five national team appearances, emerging as the breakout star of their Gold Cup campaign.
This level of production is crucial not only individually but also in compensating for USMNT weaknesses, particularly up front. The search for a dependable No. 9 continues, with the player pool affected by injuries to Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi, and Josh Sargent currently out of favor with Pochettino. Tillman has fit in well playing behind Patrick Agyemang, providing much-needed goals from a different area of the pitch, a long-standing requirement for the USA. While Christian Pulisic remains the primary goal threat, having more scorers is a welcome development for a team seeking positive signs with the World Cup just a year away. Tillman`s upward trajectory is therefore highly encouraging.
In essence, Tillman might be stepping into the role seemingly intended for Reyna, finally introducing the sense of competition many have desired for the USMNT – and he may not be the only one.
USMNT`s Attacking Midfield Race Heats Up
The USMNT has largely seemed to be treading water since the 2022 World Cup, collectively struggling to live up to the potential identified over the past five-plus years. Disappointing performances in last year`s Copa America and March`s Concacaf Nations League finals have raised questions about whether hidden talents exist in the wider pool or if the team is destined for mediocrity. The jury is still out on the collective, but there is clear competition for the attacking midfield role, perhaps more so than in other positions on the pitch.
While Tillman is solidifying his claim for a starting spot, Real Salt Lake`s Diego Luna is another player making his case. The 21-year-old has impressed Pochettino, earning a start over Reyna in the CNL third-place match in March and assisting the USMNT`s only goal. Although he hasn`t yet produced a series of similar performances, if he builds form during the Gold Cup like Tillman has, Reyna could realistically fall further down the depth chart.
This situation increases the pressure on Reyna to deliver on his promise over the coming year, a persistent challenge for him. He hasn`t managed double-digit league starts at club level since the 2020-21 season, partly due to injuries. This lack of consistent play strongly suggests Dortmund hasn`t been the right environment for him for years, a reality highlighted by the present circumstances. He can`t even secure minutes in the Club World Cup, an end-of-season tournament, where Kovac preferred players with tired legs over Reyna`s relative freshness. Meanwhile, Tillman and Luna are earning significant playing time in a different summer showcase tournament. While FIFA rules prioritizing the Club World Cup over the Gold Cup aren`t Reyna`s fault, it feels like another missed chance for a young player who has spent more time on the bench than gaining valuable minutes at a competitive European club.
How Reyna responds to the challenge posed by players like Tillman and Luna potentially rising to prominence is a key question for this summer. Crucially, however, the national team finally doesn`t have to bear the full weight of the consequences alone.
Adrian Whitmore 
Benedict Kingsley