“Never Cut It Abroad”- Jamie Carragher Trolls Landon Donovan for “Ridiculous Statement” on Gio Reyna’s Future

When Giovanni Reyna made his big move to Borussia Dortmund, success was expected, considering how another American who started at Signal Iduna Park had done well. Years later, a string of injuries have limited his game time, and USMNT legend Landon Donovan believes Reyna should have never left MLS. Critics, however, were quick to call out Donovan, with Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher in particular calling out the American for his ridiculous claims. 

Donovan said that Reyna is a ‘soccer practicer’ and not a ‘soccer player’ and had he stuck to the MLS, he’d have played over 300 games by now. Ex-USMNT Eric Wynalda countered this by saying that, unlike Donovan, the players have the ambition to make it big in Europe, which is significantly better than the American domestic league. 

When Kate Abdo brought up Donovan’s comments during CBS’s Champions League coverage, another ex-USMNT star, Clint Dempsey, openly disagreed with his former teammate. The ex-Fulham star argued that Reyna’s limited playing time at Dortmund had more to do with his injuries than his abilities. 

“Do you think Landon Donovan’s saying that because he never cut it abroad?” questioned Carragher, casting doubt on Donovan’s time in Europe. This had the crew in stitches, with Thierry Henry playfully asking Carragher to stop “cooking” Donovan, while Abdo remarked that Jamie loves making headlines with his comments.

“It sounds like a ridiculous statement if you’re saying someone should be playing in the MLS rather than playing in the Bundesliga or the Champions League. That just sounds absolutely ridiculous,” added Carragher. The American had loan spells at Bayern Munich and Everton, where he managed just 33 appearances in three years, scoring only twice.

Can Giovanni Reyna land on Pochettino’s teamsheet?

Giovanni Reyna made his first start since April this year in Dortmund’s Champions League clash against Barcelona. During the post-match interview, the midfielder seemed thrilled getting to play, despite losing 2-3 to the Spanish side. “When Nuri told me that I get the chance to play, obviously I just want to take it and have a good time,” said Reyna. 

With the American fit once again, hopefully, he earns a spot in Mauricio Pochettino’s January camp, where the team will play friendlies against Venezuela and Costa Rica. And with Pochettino’s squad primarily consisting of Americans making waves abroad, Reyna might just join the likes of Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tim Weah. 

While not many argue with Donovan’s comments, it does beg the question: Would Giovanni Reyna have remained injury-free had he stayed in the United States? And with Pochettino previously stating that players would earn minutes based on their club performances, one wonders, Could Reyna have started for the Stars and Stripes?