AUGSBURG, Germany — He didn’t score a goal but Gio Reyna still set a record on Saturday.
The U.S. youth international midfielder became the youngest American to perform in the Bundesliga as he made his league debut for Borrusia Dortmund.
Reyna, who is 17 years, two months and five days old, came onto the pitch in the 72nd minute at Augsburg. He certainly didn’t shy away from the action because four minutes later, he received his first yellow card.
“What a night!” Reyna said on Twitter. “Extremely happy to make my Debut but even happier for the win!”
Even in his short time on the field, the Bedford, N.Y. native impressed head coach Lucien Favre, whose team registered a 5-3 win.
“It was very good that he played here,” he said. “At 17, it was good.”
Former Dortmund midfielder Christian Pulisic, a U.S. international, was the youngest American to played in the league. Pulisic was 17 years, four months and 12 days old when he made his Bundesliga debut for Dortmund on Jan. 30, 2016. Pulisic plays for Chelsea in the English Premier League.
Reyna is the son of former U.S. internationals Claudio Reyna and Danielle Egan Reyna. Danielle played in the Long Island Junior Soccer League.
He signed with the German club in July and enjoyed an encouraging start, scoring four times in 11 matches for the club’s Under-19 side. Reyna played for the New York Soccer Club, New York City FC Academy teams and the U.S. Under-17 national team. Most recently, he competed at the FIFA U-17 men’s World Cup.
Dortmund signed the attacking midfielder from New York City FC in July and he went on to score four goals in 11 league games for Dortmund’s under-19 team.
Reyna, did not get the biggest headlines for Dortmund as 19-year-old Norwegian forward Erling Haalan, making his team debut, connected for a second-half hat-trick.
The teenager was named to a Bundesliga matchday squad for the first time in December, when he was an unused substitute in a 5-0 victory over Fortuna Dusseldorf.
Reyna’s debut took second place to Erling Haaland’s first game for the club, as the 19-year-old Norwegian striker recorded a second-half hat trick.
