The Daily Bee (January 7, 2021): Mats Hummels Praises Youssoufa Moukoko, Reyna and Bellingham Named to UCL Breakthrough XI

Good morning, Fear The Wall.

Before I go into the news a little, I wanted to speak to you all for just a second. I think I speak for everyone at Fear The Wall when I say that I’m embarrassed and appalled at what transpired in Washington D.C. yesterday. In my mind, those who engaged in that despicable behavior and the people (including US senators and congresspeople) who support that behavior are not the patriots they claim to be. They are terrorists and instigators, and I hope that they get what they deserve in the aftermath of this.

Ok, now on to the soccer news...

Hummels Offers Praise for Moukoko

In an interview SportBild, Dortmund vice captain Mats Hummels called Youssoufa Moukoko “one of the best young players” he has ever played with. He even goes as far as to compare him to Mario Gotze, Christian Pulisic, and Tony Kroos. To include Moukoko, who hasn’t even played a full season of first-team football for BVB, with World Cup winners Gotze and Kroos and rising Chelsea star and USMNT leader Pulisic, among the best young players he has ever played with is some high praise for Moukoko.

Moukoko has made waves across Germany, making his professional debut against Hertha Berlin a day after his 16th birthday and continuing to improve and show he is worthy of the mountains of hype he has been receiving since he burst onto the scene with the BVB second team as a 13-year-old.

Moukoko, who scored his first professional, returned to training this week following a knee injury but is still expected to miss Borussia Dortmund’s pivotal match against RB Leipzig this Saturday.

Bellingham and Reyna Named to UCL Breakthrough XI

This may have been announced back in December, but Jude Bellingham and Gio Reyna have been named to the Champions League Breakthrough XI for the 2020 group stages. In order to be named to this group, a player must either be under the age of 24 or make their Champions League debut in 2020/make a “major leap” in 2020 after already making a Champions League appearance.

For Jude and Gio, they each fall under the first category, as they are both well under the age of 24. Gio would definitely fall under the second category, as he already made his Champions League debut last season and made the game-winning assist to Erling Haaland in the first leg against PSG.

The future definitely seems bright in Dortmund, with Reyna and Bellingham receiving this recognition from UEFA, and other young BVB players like Haaland and Moukoko making waves across Europe for their spectacular play despite their young ages.

The Daily Buzz

How is everyone dealing with the new year so far?