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Dortmund manager Tuchel calls Pulisic ‘integral’ to squad

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Christian Pulisic’s rise to the Borussia Dortmund first team may have been swift, but it appears that the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team playmaker has already solidified his role with the Bundesliga powerhouse.

Speaking ahead of Dortmund’s DFB-Pokal quarterfinal clash with Stuttgart, manager Thomas Tuchel said that he already views Pulisic as a major contributor to the club’s first team. The 17-year-old, who joined the first team over the Bundesliga’s winter break, has made two appearances for the club in as many weeks.

“At the moment it is a great pleasure to have him here. He is a very integral part,” Tuchel said. “How we will continue to deal with his talent, I do not know yet.

“I am open enough to allow everything to be open. We are open to everything as it goes on. There is a constant dialogue with him as with all young players. We need to check again and again how they feel with certain things.”

Pulisic, who joined the club last January, was recently added to the Borussia Dortmund’s Europa League squad ahead of a Feb. 18 clash with Porto.

What do you think of Tuchel’s comments? Is it too much, too fast for Pulisic? What do you expect from the young American as 2016 continues?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

    • He’s moved up from the U19 team to Dortmund 2 but has really only got minutes off the bench this year. Some rumors he would be loaned out but didn’t happen.

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  1. He’ll most likely be sent back to the younger team. Nothing agains him in particular or any sort of anti- american bias. Sometimes coaches dedcide a young players is just no mentally ready and decide not to risk his development a la Fredy Adu

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  2. It’s not unusual for talented youngsters to start to get a taste of the 1st team at his age. Getting that taste and staying there are two different things however. He needs to buckle down and keep working as hard as he can to be the best player he can be.

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    • A major difference is that his minutes came in matches where his team were playing against good teams (not relegation fodder) where the outcome of the game was in question. In both games he came on when the score was 0-0. That shows that the coaches have confidence in him that he can help the team even in difficult situations, and not just when things are all wrapped up.

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  3. I watched his last game with Dortmund. He had a couple bright moments and a couple where he looked like a teenager competing against men. A couple of his runs he killed the space for a teammate on another he moved to a good spot. Still he did not look out of place.

    He did seem more comfortable when he was moved up top where he was clearly instructed to chase than he did when he started as an attacking mid on the left and was in more traffic. But his one good dribble past the right back when he first came on was nice.

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  4. Let me paraphrase “He’s playing well right now so he is getting minutes, if he stops playing well he won’t play anymore. But, we’ll tell him what he’s not doing well.” Groundbreaking comments those are.

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  5. to be fair, the full context of the quote says he is an integral part of the BVB setup, including the youth side as well as the full team. so that part did not solely refer to the first team.

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  6. Also in his quotes he mentions him being sent back to the youth level is a possibility. I don’t think he will be sent down but food for thought since it is not mentioned in this article.

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  7. If he is going to be a difference maker, then he can make a difference in March with the U/23 team trying to qualify for the Olympics, that should be a no brainer.

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  8. These comments mean more , than the minutes he’s received so far. It should be interesting if he gets a start sometime here in the near future. Between the Bundesliga, Europa league, and Pokal, I have to believe he has a starting chance here in the near future.

    I also think it is crucial for Klinsmann to leave Christian with Dortmund for the remainder of the season. There is no immediate need for him with the senior side and using him in Olympic qualifier will be pointless as he has never played with anyone of the players in that pool. He needs to remain with the club and continue his growth. Also, Any worries about cap tying him should be thrown out the door, because he has made it very explicit that he is American, and he will play for America.

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    • Dortmund’s last match is March 19th and then won’t play again until April 2. If CP was starting I said yeah maybe leave him so he doesn’t get sent to the bench and lose his spot. He’s 17, most 17 year olds are playing 3 to 6 games a weekend for their travel team, I think he’ll be good for 25 minutes on the 2nd if BvB needs him.

      If he can help the U23s and I think he definitely could, although he does play our deepest position, he needs to be called in. Most of BvBs stars will be out on international duty during this time period as well. I don’t remember anyone having complaints about his travel to Jamaica for qualifying or Chile for the U17 WC.

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    • While i also agree that JK needs to slow walk this kid into the senior team, I can’t say the same about leaving him out of the U23s. If US Soccer is serious about the Olympics they need to have all of its best players involved in that 2 legged qualifier with Colombia bc that is what it’s going to take to see that goal realized. Having him with the 23’s will still allow for him to develop with some of our more promising young talent while also giving him big game experience at the lower levels of US Soccer. Lastly, I too think it would be prudent for us to cap tie him bc word is out there that Croatia is lurking in the shadows to call him in and we know the lure of playing in not just a WC, but also a European Championship can have on a players psyche.

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      • Not sure he can be cap tied pre-21. It’s been a while since I looked at the rules, but I think as long as he is eligible for another team already (no clue if he is currently eligible for Croatia) he can always file a 1 time switch up until his 21st birthday (e.g. Julian Green). That being said, just because he is eligible for Croatia doesn’t mean he would move away from his self identity just for a chance to play in the Euros.

  9. Too much too fast is when you play in the 4th division and people say you are going to be the next Pelé, 17 year old getting real minutes for the #2 team in the Bundesliga is just amazingly hard work and skill.

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