Four years ago to the day, Christian Pulisic ended the wait for U.S. Men’s National Team fans.
Pulisic made his senior debut for the USMNT on March 29th in a 4-0 World Cup Qualifying win over Guatemala. He became the youngest American player to feature in a World Cup Qualifier, replacing Graham Zusi in the 81st minute at Mafpre Stadium.
#OTD 2016: @cpulisic_10 made his #USMNT debut in a 4-0 #WCQ win vs. ??.
At 17 years, 189 days, Pulisic became the youngest player to appear for the ?? in a @FIFAWorldCup qualifying match. pic.twitter.com/Rf4uASiKeB
— U.S. Soccer MNT (@USMNT) March 29, 2020
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For Pulisic it may have been a short cameo, but it would be his first of 34 caps to date for the USMNT. Pulisic would end up scoring seven goals during that World Cup Qualifying period, but it wouldn’t be enough for Bruce Arena’s team who fell one point behind fourth-place Honduras in the Hexagonal Fifth Round Playoffs.
Pulisic has continued to develop into one of the top young talents at both club and international level, making the move to English Premier League side Chelsea in 2019.
The 21-year-old has scored six goals in 23 combined appearances for Frank Lampard’s side this season, but has not played since New Years Day to an adductor injury. His hat trick back on Oct. 26th in a 4-2 Premier League win over Burnley saw Pulisic become the second American of all-time to score three goals in a single EPL match.
Internationally, Pulisic has scored 14 goals and registered nine assists for the Americans while also being named the U.S. Male Athlete of the Year in both 2017 and 2019.
Pulisic has yet to lift a trophy with the USMNT in his four years with the team, but did make the Concacaf Gold Cup Best XI and won the Best Young Player Award in 2019.
Alongside Weston McKennie, Zack Steffen, Tyler Adams, and Josh Sargent, Pulisic is headlining an exciting period for the USMNT which features numerous young talents. His next opportunity to represent the USMNT could come this summer in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8wgEoRUtT8
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Damn I miss the days of Dempsey an his ability to make things happen…also, Donovan, Beasley, Howard, Cameron. Dont know what you have till its gone
JK often criticized for changing formations and playing guys out of position did both on this night. It worked really well. Graham Zusi was a boss playing CM. Zardes had two assists as a winger (not his best spotin true Zardes fashion one off his shoulder when he tried to head it down and one when his first touch bounced up off his hip. Ethan Finlay robbed of a goal by a dreadful offsides call (on by at least a yard). Altidore with the final goal. Said after this match this was still the time to part ways with Klinsmann. His successor would have had Copa America and warm up matches to build their squad before road match against SVG and home against TnT, and two friendlies before the Hex. Hindsight is always 20/20 of course.
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Pulisic came off the bench in his first seven appearances for US. Sargent, Dest, McKennie, and Adams all started their first caps. In a very different time period of course.