Chelsea's clash with Borussia Dortmund is not only important for the two sides but also has an intriguing backstory to proceedings. The Champions League last-16 second leg at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday will be the setting of what could have been a momentous day for the USMNT.
Graham Potter has, in his squad, American star and former captain Christian Pulisic while Edin Terzic has available his prodigee. Giovanni Reyna is four years younger than his fellow countryman and has long been tipped to take up his mantle as the star of the national team but has come into recent difficulty in getting gametime.
Reyna has found things hard going when it came to playing for Gregg Berhalter at the World Cup with the 20-year-old struggling for minutes managing only 50 minutes during the tournament despite being one of the standout young players in the squad.
As far as his time at club level is concerned, Reyna has now been left on the bench for three consecutive games for Dortmund, only starting four league games for Dortmund this season and he also didn't feature in the first leg. Meanwhile Pulisic himself has been missing in London due to injury. Although the winger has returned to Chelsea training he hasn't featured in a matchday squad since January 5.
When the draw for this eagerly antipicated clash was done back in November it appeared that two of America's brightest stars would be able to face off against each other in what would be a big day for the country as they look ahead to building anticipation for the 2026 World Cup.
Reyna and Pulisic have already been picked out as key parts of the squad that will be aiming to make a real splash at that tournament but their apparent lack of opportunity heading into a global event such as as this will be a big disappointment. Terzic himself still has big hopes for the midfielder but without the two USA stars it could be seen as an opportunity missed here for the American game.
“Gio has always suffered setbacks,” Terzic said before the 2-1 victory against RB Leipzig on Saturday. “He was injured once with the national team. He has made a few short appearances, played from the start against Bremen, and had no playing time in the last three games.
“He knows what we expect from him. But we also know what he can give us. He has to be diligent and patient.” Both players are now being forced to wait for their opportunity while national team matters come back into focus ahead of the international break later this month.
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