Adam Richardson started in goal and didn't have much to do until Dortmund's penalty. The shot stopper did, however, produce a superb one-on-one save to keep the score at just 1-0 seconds before the half-time whistle. Beaten at range by a good strike for the second Dortmund goal. Played a really poor ball out from the back, which resulted in Dortmund's third of the evening. Nearly repeated the same trick not long after, but made up for it with a save. A tough night for a really talented goalkeeper. 4placeholder image
Adam Richardson started in goal and didn't have much to do until Dortmund's penalty. The shot stopper did, however, produce a superb one-on-one save to keep the score at just 1-0 seconds before the half-time whistle. Beaten at range by a good strike for the second Dortmund goal. Played a really poor ball out from the back, which resulted in Dortmund's third of the evening. Nearly repeated the same trick not long after, but made up for it with a save. A tough night for a really talented goalkeeper. 4

James Copley's Sunderland U21s ratings vs Dortmund II – including Cirkin, Rigg, O'Nien and Geertruida grades

James Copley
By James Copley

Sunderland AFC writer; Sunderland Echo

Published 21st Jan 2026, 20:52 BST

How Luke O’Nien, Chris Rigg, Dennis Cirkin and Lutsharel Geertruida fared for Sunderland U21s at the Stadium of Light

With the dust settled on Sunderland Under-21s’ Premier League International Cup outing against Borussia Dortmund II at the Stadium of Light, attention now turns to the individual performances on the night.

Graeme Murty handed valuable minutes to a blend of youth and experience, with first-team players Lutsharel Geertruida, Luke O’Nien, Chris Rigg and Dennis Cirkin all involved as they continued their work to stay sharp.

Sunderland lost 3-1 to Dortmund II on the night after some sloppy play from the back, which capped off a disappointing evening for the young Black Cats on home soil. Here is how each player rated following the final whistle:

Charlie Dinsdale came on at half-time for Lutsharel Geertruida but struggled to get a foothold as Sunderland fell further behind quickly in the second half. 5

13. Charlie Dinsdale

Charlie Dinsdale came on at half-time for Lutsharel Geertruida but struggled to get a foothold as Sunderland fell further behind quickly in the second half. 5 | Sunderland AFC

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Archie Lightfoot came on for Dennis Cirkin in the second half but didn't make much of an impact on the game. 5

14. Archie Lightfoot

Archie Lightfoot came on for Dennis Cirkin in the second half but didn't make much of an impact on the game. 5 | Sunderland AFC

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Marcus Neill came on towards the end of the game and made an immediate impact by getting himself on the scoresheet. 7

15. Marcus Neill

Marcus Neill came on towards the end of the game and made an immediate impact by getting himself on the scoresheet. 7 | Photo courtesy of Sunderland AFC

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