World Cup 2022: USMNT stories - Christian Pulisic, the man in the mirror
Ahead of the November 2021 World Cup qualifier between Mexico and the US, Mexico goalie Guillermo Ochoa made a comment that resulted in a Pulisic troll.
A goal and a troll all in one. You love to see it. Mexico’s goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa made a comment about the US men’s national team ahead of their World Cup qualifier game in November 2021 that “didn’t sit well” with USMNT attacker Christian Pulisic. So he decided to fight back.
Before the game, Ochoa said this: “Mexico is the mirror in which the US wants to see itself and wants to copy.” Ouch! In fairness, Mexico leads the US in their matchups with 36 wins, 15 draws, and just 22 losses. But Pulisic was out to prove they can hold their own, and that he did. He scored the first goal of the game in the 74th minute to put the US up 1-0. After the goal, he lifted his shirt to reveal another shirt underneath. On it, with black Sharpie, was written, “MAN IN THE MIRROR”.
“The man in the mirror thing was pretty funny,” said Pulisic. He explained that he wrote it just five minutes before kickoff. He was talking with one of his teammates about Ochoa’s comment and they decided to scribble the phrase onto his shirt before the game started.
“I was on the bench this game. I didn’t even know if I was going to come in or what was going to happen,” said Pulisic. “I must have manifested that to happen.”
“If I came on and scored, I would show it. That was the plan. Surely enough, I came on, scored against him, and I revealed this.”
The USMNT went on to defeat Mexico 2-0. As US winger Tim Weah said at the time, “beating them just shuts them up”.
“I’ve had conversations with Ochoa after, who’s also a top guy,” said Pulisic. “He said he never meant to take a shot at our national team and I said it just was something that had happened and I thought would be pretty funny and cool.”
Full list of US men’s national team players: Full USMNT squad
“I think scoring winning goals and at big moments, the emotions that I feel and a lot of people feel, I do like to show them,” said Pulisic. “You never know, maybe I’ll pull out a couple more tricks out of the back. We’ll see.”
See also: 2022 World Cup full calendar
The USMNT play their first World Cup game this Monday, November 21 against Wales in Group B, followed by England and Iran.