GOAL US writers discuss Reyna's goal-scoring return, Robinson's remarkable performance, Best FIFA awards and more

As if there weren't enough individual awards to be sorted in soccer, another slate were announced Tuesday. Vinicius Jr claimed the FIFA Men's best player of the year, one of several global awards revealed. It won't do much to quell the noise that always comes around Ballon d'Or voting – and only shows just how tricky this will all be on the men's side as the world moves into the life post-Lionel Messi's brilliance in Europe.

There are more niche things to unpack, too. USMNT's Gio Reyna is back among the goals, and smashed in a wonderful opener for Borussia Dortmund this weekend – but can he stay fit for long enough to it actually matter? Meanwhile, USMNT and Fulham's Antonee Robinson is in fine form, and after a standout showing against Liverpool last weekend, is surely among the best in his position in the world.

And a word, too, for Alejandro Zendejas, who impressed immensely for Club America in Liga MX. The 26-year-old might just have given coach Mauricio Pochettino something to think about in his next few USMNT squads.

It is as chaotic as ever, and GOAL US writers break it all down in another edition of… The Rondo.

Getty ImagesDid Best FIFA awards get it right?

Tom Hindle: No, no, no, no and more no. Vinicius was absolutely electric for Real Madrid last season, and has continued to impress this year. But you only have to look at how good Rodri was last campaign, and how poor City have been without him to see why he's probably the most important footballer on the planet.

Ryan Tolmich: Based on what we've seen over the last few months, Rodri looks more right than ever. No disrespect to Vinicius, who had a good year, but there really was a lack of great candidates out there, which is why Rodri won the Ballon d'Or. Now, with this award, FIFA went with Vinicius – although hindsight shows us just how vital Rodri was to Manchester City's title push. Realistically, there wasn't a wrong answer here, and that's largely because there wasn't a right one, either – no single player had a dominant campaign.

Jacob Schneider: Vini Jr. or Rodri were both deserving of the award. Of course, it's a contrast to the Ballon d'Or, but at the same time, they each won an impressive honor. The footballing world should just be grateful to have the opportunity to witness them both in their prime, instead of bickering over awards. Thrilled for Vini Jr. well done. That said, it would have been equally valid for Rodri, who could have easily won it too.

Alex Labidou: As much as Rodri was an equally viable candidate – look how poor Manchester City have been since his injury – Vini Jr. also makes a lot of sense. He's arguably the best attacking threat in the world right now, whereas Rodri is its best two-way star. Will admit though, this does feel like a bit of a m from FIFA, who saw Real Madrid and Vini Jr. act like petulant children when Rodri won the Ballon D'Or. It's a just win, and one that shows just how narrow the difference in quality is between the two players.

AdvertisementGettyWhat to expect from Reyna the rest of the season?

TH: If he stays fit, double-digit goal contributions in all competitions would be a proper result. But perhaps that's getting a bit ahead of things. As long as Reyna stays fit and locks down a spot in the starting lineup, that's a win. The guy just turned 22, and has a lot of football left to play. Look after the hamstrings now, and worry about the accolades later.

RT: Play! Start more than half of Dortmund's games, come on as a sub in most of the others and make a legitimate impact on the field. Realistically, Reyna just needs to be on the field, and scoring goals like he did last weekend will help. He needs consistent minutes that allow him to rebuild his form and confidence.

JS: Genuinely? The most reasonable expectation is for him to loaned or sold in January. Finding form in December is absolutely brilliant for his prospects, and both parties should agree to part ways in the winter as a result. Gio needs to be playing 90 minutes every week, whether that's for Dortmund, Wigan, Las Palmas or Como. Whichever team it is, it does not matter. Just play.

AL: It still seems as if he needs a fresh start somewhere else, but this recent run of two consecutive starts is encouraging. Reyna's potential is clear, he just needs a stretch of games to show it. If so, Pochettino will have a welcome challenge in picking his starting XI this March for the Nations League.

Getty Images SportIs Antonee Robinson the best left back in the world?

TH: He's certainly up there. Left backs, in a traditional sense, are out of fashion at the moment. Everyone is a converted center back, or tucks into midfield. That's kind of the fun of modern football – positions are being blurred. Robinson is a bit more old school in that sense, a more retro-style left back. The point is, it's hard to judge him against a Josko Gvardiol type. Let's go noncommittal and boring, and say he's somewhere in a top three that also includes Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies and AC Milan's Theo Hernandez. If his name was Robinsinho, though, we'd probably say he's the best. Such is the curse of American footballers.

RT: Not quite, simply due to the lack of Champions League, but he's in the mix, yeah? There aren't really any legendary left-backs out there at the moment, but there are some studs in Hernandez and Davies. Robinson is right up there with them, though. Let's revisit this discussion down the line, particularly if Robinson makes a big move from Fulham at any point soon.

JS: I think it's fair to say he is absolutely in consideration. Davies is still the gold standard, but Robinson is easily in the top five at the moment. His performance against Liverpool was absolutely superb, and he deserves all the praise being sent his way.

AL: No. But he's in the conversation, which he would have have been a year ago. He's behind Davies and Hernandez by a decent margin. Still, if we want to limit this conversation to just the Premier League, then yes, he is the best left back in the world's most competitive league. He not only offers an attacking threat, as shown with his two assists against Liverpool, but he can contain some of the game's brightest talents like he did against Bukayo Saka in Fulham's matchup with Arsenal.

GettyIs Thiago Motta an upgrade over Max Allegri at Juventus?

TH: Not really. But it's all just varying degrees of mediocrity, right? The football has been marginally better, but Juventus are so slow, and so predictable. Motta seems terrified to get countered, and has set up his side to minimize goalscoring opportunities for opponents. The flip side, of course, is that they really struggle to create going forward. The no losses look far less impressive when you consider that they have drawn 10 (!) times.

RT: Stylistically? Slightly. Results? Not much. Juve are a draw machine, which hasn't done them any favors in the Serie A race. They're a bit more ambitious and chaotic than under Allegri, but we aren't mistaking this team for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool any time soon. It's still not great, but the hope is that it can get better if Juve can convert a few of these draws into wins.

JS: In general, yes, simply because Allegri played a style of soccer that was unwatchable. So from a viewing perspective, absolutely. However, Juve are still struggling to close out matches. They've drawn too many times – yet they're unbeaten in Serie A, and they are the only team that can say that.

AL: No. To be honest, neither Juventus or AC Milan's decisions to change managers have made a lot of sense. looked poor against the worst team in Serie A in Venezia and were bailed out by some bad referee decisions. Similar to Allegri, Motta just doesn't know how to utilize his pieces in the best way and the lack of consistency is hurting his team – one week Weston McKennie is playing at wing, next he's playing at center mid and then following week he's at right back. Juve can't win playing like that and more importantly, just like Allegri, Motta has failed to get the most out of high-priced striker Dusan Vlahovic.