USMNT
Now is the time to shine for Christian Pulisic in the USMNT
The USMNT captain has to show up and perform for the national side after a string of promising performances.
Until fairly recently, speaking about Christian Pulisic drew sighs and fell on a lot of deaf ears. The player was considered by many as a broken toy struggling through European football, someone with a lot of promise but who never reached the heights that many thought he could.
After signing for Chelsea and never taking off, the player moved to Italy where he would don the red and black stripes of AC Milan, and now he is seeing a genuine rebirth in the famous colours. His level of performance has shot through the roof in the rossoneri shirt and he is one of the most threatening attackers in Serie A.
As for the USMNT, fans are seeing it as the perfect moment to ask more from the player they call Captain America.
Germany defeat was a tough lesson for USMNT
Since Landon Donovan’s retirement from the professional game, US soccer has become a place void of references and idols (Messi doesn’t count, he’s from Argentina). Christian Pulisic has slowly but surely started to finally fill that void left by the ex-LA Galaxy, Bayern Munich and Everton player. Having been converted into the main attacking outlet for Gregg Berhalter’s side, Pulisic has taken advantage of the system put in place by the Stars & Stripes coach and has stood up in their time of need.
The tough defeat against a refreshed Germany side under the orders of Julian Nagelsmann served as a huge reality check for the team: they are way off getting to the elite level of international football but the talent is certainly there to make a continental impact. However, the doubts remain in Berhalter’s setup, especially at the back where Germany were able to pick off their opponents and slice through them at will.
Tyler Adams’ injury leaves space for Pulisic
With the absence of midfield lynchpin, Tyler Adams, a player with a return date still not pencilled in, Pulisic has taken a step to the top of the hierarchical tree and has to now be the focus of the side if they want to move forward. They have hugely important fixtures coming up over the next months, with a Copa América in the summer, which will be hosted by the US.
As such, all the focus and attention is on the host nation for the tournament yet their results against top-tier sides have left a lot to be desired: Pulisic, however, showed he has what it takes to battle the best and against Germany he made it into the top 5 all-time USMNT goal scorers with a wonderful early strike.
Pulisic can be the team leader for the US in the 2026 World Cup
The USMNT are screaming out for a natural leader on the pitch who can guide them to their dreams of a competitive Copa América 2024 as well as the huge fantasy of a home World Cup in 2026. With the important dates written in red on Berhalter’s calendar, it’s time for Pulisic to become the new Landon Donovan and take the team by the scruff of the neck as he leads it through a new era of competing with the best.
At just 25-years-old, Pulisic is becoming a mature player and one where his experience can being to count in a positive way on the pitch. Ghana is the next test for the side, and everyone wants to go back to talking about Pulisic how they used to.
Next game for USMNT:
The USMNT play Ghana on Tuesday October 17, with kick off at 8:30 p.m./ 5:30 p.m. PT.
You can follow the game on AS USA.
