From Red, White and Blue to Borussia Dortmund's Black and Yellow
Saturday sees the 150th competitive edition of the Revierderby, pitting together two of Germany’s biggest and most-traditional clubs - FC Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund - in what many consider the Bundesliga's biggest rivalry.
Christian Pulisic
Read: US Schalke fans flock to St. Louis for Revierderby
Between the emergence of Dortmund starlet Christian Pulisic and the young US-born trio of Haji Wright, Weston McKennie, and Nick Taitague honing their talent in Schalke’s vaunted youth system, bundesliga.com looks back at the eight US-international players to have played for one of the North Rhine-Westphalia neighbours.
Here we check-in with the four to wear both the red, white, and blue of US Soccer and the classic Black-and-Yellow of Borussia Dortmund during their careers.
Then: BVB since January 2016 with seven goals in 43 appearances
Now: The sky is the limit for this rising Bundesliga star and the latest “future of US Soccer”
As a 17-year-old recently called into the team from the youth ranks, Pulisic made his second-ever Bundesliga start in the Revierderby at the Veltins Arena in April 2016. That coach Thomas Tuchel was willing to use his young talent in such an intense environment should be all you need to know about the young American’s ability and composure, which have earned him high praise for both his club and international exploits.
Trivia: Pulisic is the youngest non-German to score in the Bundesliga and is also the youngest player to ever score twice in a Bundesliga match.
Watch: EA Sports predicts the outcome of Saturday's Revierderby
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Jovan Kirovski
Then: BVB from July 1998 to July 2000, with two goals in 29 appearances
Now: Technical Director for Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer
Kirovsky moved to Dortmund from Manchester United in the summer of 1996. He made two appearances in BVB’s 1996-97 Champions League title run to become the first US-international to win UEFA’s top competition. He was loaned to Bundesliga 2 side Fortuna Köln before being sold to Portugal’s Sporting CP.
Trivia: Kirovski’s lone Bundesliga goal came in a 2-0 win over MSV Duisburg with current BVB Sporting Director Michael Zorc playing behind him in midfield.
Joseph-Claude “Joe” Gyau
Then: BVB from July 2014 to January 2017, making two appearances
Now: Regular in attack for SG Sonnenhof-Großaspach of German third division
Gyau joined Dortmund as a promising 22-year-old attacker mere weeks after playing against Dortmund for Hoffenheim. Following seven appearances with the club’s reserves, Gyau made his BVB debut off the bench against VfB Stuttgart. A few weeks later, Gyau made his second appearance for the US national team under Jürgen Klinsmann in a friendly match against Ecuador. Just 22 minutes into the friendly, Gyau suffered a knee injury that would ultimately keep him out of action for 22 months, effectively ending his Dortmund tenure.
Trivia: Joe Gyau has football in his blood. Joe’s grandfather, Agyeman Gyau, was among the first standout players for the Black Stars, Ghana’s national team.