Captain America makes career first... but not one he wanted

AC Milan’s Champions League elimination at the hands of Feyenoord appears to have had a negative impact on the squad, as Sérgio Conceição’s side seems trapped in a state of footballing shock. Even some of the team’s biggest names have not been immune—including Christian Pulisic.

On Saturday, Milan traveled to face Torino in Serie A’s Matchday 26, and they quickly found themselves on the back foot after a mistake by Mike Maignan. It was not the only error of the match for the Rossoneri, as Pulisic also faltered under the growing uncertainty haunting the team.

In the 33rd minute, the USMNT captain and Milan’s No. 11 had a golden opportunity to level the score—but missed his penalty. It was a historic moment, as it marked the first penalty miss of Pulisic’s entire career.

Before this match, Pulisic had been flawless from the spot, converting all 12 of his previous penalty attempts for club and country. With Milan alone, this was the fourth penalty he had taken—the first miss following three successful strikes in Serie A and the Supercoppa Italiana.

Pulisic’s perfect streak before the miss

Of the 12 penalties he had previously scored, 10 came at the professional level, spanning his club career and his time with the USMNT:

• January 26, 2025 – Milan 3-2 Parma: Scored
• January 3, 2025 – Juventus 1-2 Milan: Scored
• September 14, 2025 – Milan 4-0 Venezia: Scored
• October 18, 2023 – USMNT 4-0 Ghana: Scored
• September 9, 2023 – USMNT 3-0 Uzbekistan: Scored
• March 28, 2022 – USMNT 5-1 Panama: Scored twice
• June 7, 2021 – USMNT 3-2 Mexico: Scored
• March 28, 2021 – USMNT 2-1 Northern Ireland: Scored
• October 12, 2019 – USMNT 7-0 Cuba: Scored

Additionally, Pulisic had converted two penalties at the youth level—one for the U.S. U-17s against England and another during his time in Borussia Dortmund’s academy.

His first career miss now adds to Milan’s recent woes, as the team continues to struggle in the wake of their European exit.

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