While Weston McKennie has joined US national team cornerstones Tyler Adams and Christian Pulisic in making donations to FeedingAmerica.org to help the United States coronavirus response, he also has extended an invitation to fellow American and Bundesliga opponent Giovanni Reyna, writes Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated.
The 21-year-old McKennie plays his club football at Schalke, not far from where the 17-year-old Reyna has broken into the first-team side at Dortmund. Before the coronavirus pandemic halted most sports around the globe, Reyna would've likely joined McKennie on the squad for a pair of March USMNT friendlies in Europe.
“He knows that if he ever needs anyone to hang out with or just wants to come over and chill, he's more than welcome,” McKennie said of Reyna. “Obviously right now in the circumstances, it's a little bit hard to do such a thing, but I understand where he's at right now, because at Dortmund he lives on the facility, and all the kids practically have gone home there. So he's practically all alone by himself, which is kind of a bummer.”
Also a bummer for McKennie and his American compatriots was the cancellation of a pair of international friendlies for the US at the end of March, practically in their backyard. Still, McKennie is looking forward to getting his country back to the World Cup in 2022, with qualifying currently slated to start in the fall, and really just to playing soccer.
“I think many Americans and many people are looking forward to seeing how we do in qualifying,” he said, “and to see what this new group is about. God willing, this virus is over and we are able to play soccer again. I think that’s something that all of us are really, really looking forward to.”
Read Wahl's complete piece on the interview with McKennie, including more on his charitable endeavors, impromptu home gym and plenty more at at SI.com.
