Christian Pulisic is developing into the USMNT’s most important player

ARLINGTON, Texas – Christian Pulisic’s career has taken him all over the place. Starting in his hometown of Hershey, Pa., he has since moved to Dortmund, London and Milan. His involvement with the United States men’s national team has taken him to several exotic ports, including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

But Sunday’s Copa América opener against Bolivia was a case of Pulisic coming through. On his international debut eight years ago, he scored the late goal to add some extra sparkle to a 4-0 win over — you guessed it — Bolivia. The opposition goalkeeper that day was one Guillermo Viscarra. In Sunday’s match, Pulisic found the net with just under three minutes left, cutting inside after a short corner was played in, and unleashed an unstoppable shot past Viscarra and just under the crossbar. A sense of déjà vu is palpable; Same opponent, same goalie, and pretty much the same result. The stakes were slightly higher on this occasion, but with Pulisic adding an assist for Folarin Balogun’s goal, the USA won 2-0, and began their Copa América campaign.

This is an important result as Bolivia are the weakest team in Group C. La Verde has not won a competitive match away from home since 2015. Dropped points will put the US in a massive bind from the start. However, it is enough, and Pulisic’s brilliance to thank. The US has regularly struggled to break down defensively stout opponents as recently as last March’s Concacaf Nations League semifinal against Jamaica. But Pulisic’s goal in the third minute calmed nerves and gave him confidence.

The 25-year-old also showed more emotion than he is used to when you consider the 30th goal of his international career. When he ran to the bench, he pointed to the set-piece coach Gianni Vio, who made the game, and was then attacked by his teammates. When asked to explain his reaction, Pulisic said, “It’s the Copa América, it’s a big tournament, I think. I mean, I feel very happy after scoring the goal, but it’s a big moment. It’s a major tournament. , so I don’t take it for granted.”

Pulisic has all the looks of a player at his peak. His club season with AC Milan was the best and most consistent of his career. He has earned the trust of managers at club and international level, and most importantly he has faith in himself. Nagging injuries have appeared in the past – touch wood – and while he has long been one of the USMNT’s most important players, he looks set to drag the team to greater heights. In the past, Pulisic has seemed weighed down by expectations, including those of his leadership. Now he seems to have been released by them.

“I think he found his confidence in the game, and everybody needs reinvigoration at some point in their career, and continues to grow,” quarterback Tyler Adams said. “And that doesn’t mean the product is finished. They’re evolving every day.”

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Is the USMNT enough to impress Bolivia?

Herculez Gomez and Alejandro Moreno share the results of the United States’ 2-0 victory over Bolivia in the Copa América.

Adams noted that Pulisic’s defensive efforts are as important as his contribution in the attacking half, adding: “What he does against the ball is very important for our team because when people see a player like that, everyone wants to do it.”

Pulisic’s contribution was also noted by manager Gregg Berhalter, who called the captain “a selfless leader.”

“And you see him supporting his teammates, he’s supporting guys, he’s pushing guys. For me, that was an incredible performance tonight,” he said.

Looking at the score and the opponent, there’s a temptation to think that the U.S. doesn’t need a captain on Sunday, but they do need him close. After Pulisic scored, the US went into a strange funk, where it was reluctant to push the tempo. Passing out from the back began to get lost. The midfield looks disjointed.

When asked about this moment in the match, Berhalter said, “It’s hard to control the game against a team that constantly puts pressure on you.” But the problem does not depend on what Bolivia did because the US simply failed to connect easily. The energy that USA carried in the opening minutes seemed to leave the building. Bolivia could at least score in the game, although they did not threaten the US goal.

Fortunately, in the 44th minute, another influential moment from Pulisic created some vital breathing room. Collecting the ball in the central channel, Pulisic ran at the Bolivian defense, sliding a pass to Balogun, who then delivered a laser-guided finish at the far post.

The match opened in the second half. The US had an xG of 2.34 after halftime compared to just 0.38 in the first half. Ricardo Pepi, who came on as a substitute for Balogun in the 65th minute, looked very snakebit in front of goal, as Viscarra denied him with some spectacular saves. USA will hope that the failure to convert will not cost in terms of goal differential down, which could decide the group.

Impulse then thought about finishing, but the bigger problem was the frequency with which the US continued to give the ball out from the back. Chris Richards in particular struggled a lot with the ball. It gave a gift that forced Weston McKennie to take a yellow card in the 49th minute to deny Bolivia a counter-attacking opportunity. And the usually reliable Tim Ream also had some shaky moments.

A better team than Bolivia will punish the hosts. However, fortunately for the USMNT, this Copa América offers an example where the order of the game helped them, as they were able to get some of their bad games out of the system in the hope that they will be sharper in the tougher matches. That starts with a match against Panama this Thursday, a familiar opponent that has given the USA difficulties in the past. with Canaleros lost 3-1 to Uruguay in Sunday’s final game, the USA is in a position to clinch a place in the knockout rounds with a win. It’s a physical game, and the U.S. needs to bring the necessary level of focus and intensity that characterizes them when they play well.

“This is the Copa América. Every team will be flying, ready to fight and we don’t expect an easy game,” Pulisic said of the upcoming match. “So we have to do a better performance today if we want to come out with a strong result.”

Given Pulisic’s current form, the USMNT will relish the possibility.