Tag: Americans Abroad

Pulisic explains how his tiger tattoo was inspired by Tiger Woods

The USMNT star opened up on some of his tattoos in an excerpt from his upcoming book

In an excerpt from his new book, Christian Pulisic has explained the meaning behind some of his tattoos, including a tiger tattoo he says was inspired by Tiger Woods.

Pulisic also speaks about his chess piece tattoo, which is a tribute to his grandfather who taught him how to play the game he now counts among his favorite hobbies.

The following is an excerpt from “Christian Pulisic: My Journey So Far” which will be available for purchase on October 18.

Questions from author Daniel Melamud are in italic.

Pulisic on his tiger tattoo

Your tiger tattoo — which is amazing, by the way — was integral to a goal celebration at the beginning of this season (2021-22). You covered your eyes with your forearm, giving you the eyes and nose of a tiger. Aubameyang has put masks on, but yours is always at the ready.

I remember when I got the tattoo we wanted it to line up so I could cover my eyes with it, but I wasn’t planning on it being a celebration. l’d actually done that celebration once before, but no one really saw it — I don’t remember when it was — so when the first game of the season came around, it felt right to do it again.

It’s the year of the tiger and you were born in 1998, the year of the tiger — did that factor into why you got the tattoo?

Yeah, it’s part of it. I have always loved tigers, but also probably my favorite athlete growing up was Tiger Woods. I loved watching him play. So yeah, I was thinking what kind of tattoo I could get and I knew I was born in the year of the tiger, and I had always loved tigers, and I was a fan of Tiger Woods, so it all kind of just felt right.

When did you get your first tattoo?

My very first tattoo was back when I was 17 in Dortmund, and it was just something that was really personal and not something that anyone would understand the meaning of … I just wanted to get something that was meaningful to me. It has to do with my family and it’s never something I would really share with anyone, just a special one to me.

Did you get the others soon after?

I think it was like a couple of months between each one. I would just think of an idea. I always kind of wanted to fill my left arm out, so whenever I came up with a cool idea I would just kind of go for it. It took me about …  I mean, I didn’t completely finish this arm sleeve until a couple months ago. So it took a while, a couple of years.

And the chess piece tattoo, you have “Mate” written on it. Your granddad taught you how to play.

He always had a chessboard around in the house right next to him. He had one of those chessboards that would tell you where to move. The computer would move, and you’d play against it.

Me and my cousin Will … we always found it fascinating and we wanted to learn the game. So my granddad taught us and we’d try to play against him, but obviously we were never at his level; we couldn’t compete with him.

You can pre-order “Christian Pulisic: My Journey So Far” right here.

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Matt Turner believes he’s grown ‘massively’ at Arsenal despite lack of game time

The USMNT goalkeeper said he’s come a long way since arriving in north London

Matt Turner said his game has come a long way since joining Arsenal, despite only having made one appearance for the club thus far.

The U.S. national team goalkeeper joined the Gunners in the offseason from the New England Revolution, slotting in as the club’s backup behind Aaron Ramsdale.

Turner made his only Arsenal appearance two weeks ago, starting in a 2-1 win at FC Zurich in the Europa League. Still, the USMNT keeper said that his exploits in training have seen his game improve in new ways.

“I think my game has come a long way since I began at Arsenal,” Turner told reporters on a call from USMNT camp on Monday.

“Just the speed and intensity of everything every single day. Mikel [Arteta, Arsenal manager] doesn’t accept anything except for full gas at training sessions. So you have to bring it every single day, or else you get found out pretty quickly.

“I had a meeting recently with my goalkeeper coach where we looked at videos from my first few days of training, and then videos from my last few days of training, because I think it’s easy for us to get caught up in the moment. But looking back then to now, the difference in the goalkeeper that I am is is huge.”

Turner rejected the idea that he could be improving more at a club where he was starting every week.

“It depends on how you approach training, I would say,” Turner said. “If you’re in it just to stroll about and you don’t think that you can change your situation no matter what you do, then you’ll lose a lot of that sharpness.

“But I don’t know how much you know about me or my story, but that’s not really the kind of way that I operate. Every single day I go to training, I’m going to try to get better, to try to learn and improve and try to get myself onto the field.”

Turner and the USMNT will face Japan on Friday and Saudi Arabia next Tuesday as they wrap up preparation friendlies ahead of the World Cup.

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Brenden Aaronson: I want to become a Leeds club legend

The USMNT attacker has become a fan-favorite in his short time at Elland Road

Brenden Aaronson said he’s felt an instant connection with Leeds fans since his arrival in England, and outlined his desire to become a club legend.

Aaronson has adapted well after moving in the summer from Red Bull Salzburg, starting all six of Leeds’ games so far while tallying a goal and an assist.

The U.S. national team attacker is happy with how he’s started life in the Premier League, saying he’s felt at home with Leeds since the beginning.

“I think I had a good preseason and then it just pushed into the normal season and I think I was just able to click with the team, click with the coach, click with the players and it felt like just a seamless fit for me,” Aaronson told the media Monday on a call from USMNT camp.

Aaronson has developed an instant connection with the Leeds fans, who have even given him his very own chant. The 21-year-old believes that connection is bolstered by his reputation as a player who consistently gives his all.

“I’m really grateful for all the support that [the fans] have given me,” he said. “They see how much I’m willing to work for the team. I’ll always give 110 percent, and I think that they like that. And that’s the kind of team we have.

“I just want to keep getting better and better and become the best player I can be, and hopefully be a legend for the club at some point.”

Following the international break, Leeds will return to action against Aston Villa on October 2. It will be the club’s first game in a month after it had consecutive games postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

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The Americans Abroad Five: The Pefok and Pepi paradoxes

How much does club form really matter for Gregg Berhalter?

How much does club form matter for the U.S. national team?

To a certain extent, a lot. Gregg Berhalter would find it hard to call up any players outside his core group who aren’t at least getting regular minutes with their club side.

But as this past week has shown, Berhalter also has a pretty clear idea of which players fit his system and which don’t — and no amount of club success is going to change that.

To wit, let’s look at the examples of two strikers in Europe who have experienced vastly different fates over the past year, and what their USMNT status says about club form.

Let’s get to the Five.

Jordan Pefok is doing his best to make Gregg Berhalter re-think his plans

The recent USMNT snub just keeps on scoring goals in Germany

Jordan Pefok is clearly determined to make Gregg Berhalter’s job as hard as possible.

Just days after USMNT head coach Berhalter omitted Pefok from his latest roster, the Union Berlin forward continued his fantastic start to life in the Bundesliga with a goal against Wolfsburg.

The 26-year-old opened the scoring on Sunday with a glancing header, his third Bundesliga goal of the season and his fourth in all competitions.

Union Berlin would go on to win the match 2-0, in the process reclaiming first place in the Bundesliga. It was enough to give the team’s social media admin some justifiable fuel for a cheeky nod at the forward’s recent USMNT snub.

Berhalter has been adamant that the door isn’t closed on players who didn’t make his roster for September’s friendlies against Japan and Saudi Arabia, the final squad he will name before his 26-man World Cup roster.

Asked about Pefok specifically, the USMNT coach said: “We’re pretty confident we know Jordan’s profile, we know what he can do. And we didn’t feel like we needed to see him in this camp to determine whether he can be on the [World Cup] roster or not.”

Berhalter also made an appearance at halftime of ESPN’s broadcast of the Portland Timbers vs. Columbus Crew on Sunday, and was asked again about Pefok following his goal against Wolfsburg.

The USMNT coach didn’t sound like someone ready to reconsider the striker, instead saying his only path to a World Cup spot would likely be through injury to another player.

“When guys get in camp, there will probably be five players that were expected to be on the roster that couldn’t take part because of injury,” Berhalter said.

“So what I would say is that there probably will be an opportunity for guys that aren’t in this camp just because of attrition. And that’s something we’re expecting to happen. We hope it doesn’t, but it’s likely based on what’s happened in the past.”

Watch Pefok’s goal vs. Wolfsburg

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Fulham coach Marco Silva has some good Antonee Robinson injury news

The left back has started all six of the Fulham’s Premier League matches

U.S. men’s national team fans can breathe a sigh of relief after Fulham head coach Marco Silva provided some good news on Antonee Robinson’s ankle injury.

The severity of the left back’s injury has not been clear since he was forced out of Fulham’s match against Tottenham on September 3.

Robinson was left off the USMNT roster for this month’s friendlies, with head coach Gregg Berhalter admitting this week: “We’re not sure exactly when he’s going to be back in training.”

But, speaking ahead of Fulham’s match against Nottingham Forest on Friday, Silva said that Robinson was closing in on a return.

“It will be difficult, I have to be honest,” Silva said of Robinson’s participation in the Forest match.

“But we have some more hours until the game and we have to check him, like we have been doing every single day, to take the decision.

“It’s not really serious, and because of that we are testing every day how he feels.

“It’s something that could be one or two days, [that’s] the feedback that I received from the medical staff.

“We need to check again because he doesn’t feel really comfortable yet, but I think soon we will have Robinson again.”

Robinson has been an ever-present for Fulham so far in 2022-23, starting all six of the team’s Premier League matches.

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It looks like Johnny Cardoso is getting a USMNT call to replace Yunus Musah

Cardoso has been capped three times by the USMNT, most recently in December 2021

It appears that Johnny Cardoso of Brazilian side Internacional will get a U.S. men’s national team call-up to replace the injured Yunus Musah for the team’s upcoming friendlies.

Musah was part of a 26-player roster for the USMNT’s final two World Cup tune-ups against Japan and Saudi Arabia, set for September 23 and 27.

But the Valencia midfielder has picked up a knock, as revealed by his head coach Gennaro Gattuso at a press conference on Friday.

“He has a little discomfort. It is not a big thing. He has not trained today,” the coach said. “I have to talk to the doctor after the press conference because he has a small injury. I don’t know if he will be able to play in the game [vs. Celta Vigo on Saturday], but he has not trained today.

“Musah will not be going [to USMNT camp] either if his small problem is confirmed.”

The Athletic said that a Valencia spokesperson confirmed Musah would not be joining up with the USMNT for the team’s friendlies.

Musah’s replacement appears to be Cardoso, according to a report from Brazil as well as MLSsoccer.com

When speaking to the media after naming his roster this week, U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter praised the 20-year-old, saying he nearly made the cut originally.

“At center mid Johnny Cardoso is playing every week in Brazil, and we like what he’s doing, his team’s doing really well,” Berhalter said.

Cardoso has made three appearances for the USMNT, all of which have come in friendlies. The most recent cap for Cardoso was a friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina in December 2021.

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Sergiño Dest wants to stay at AC Milan for the long haul

The Italian champions have a €20 million purchase option on the USMNT fullback

Sergiño Dest has expressed his desire to stay at AC Milan beyond his one-year loan deal with the Italian champions.

Dest completed a loan move from Barcelona on deadline day, with Milan holding an option to purchase the fullback at the end of the season for a reported €20 million.

The U.S. international has made a pair of Champions League appearances off the bench for Milan, and is still waiting to make his Serie A debut. On Friday, he was presented to the media and spoke of his desire to convince Milan to activate the purchase option on his deal.

“I will give 100 percent and show that at the end of the season Milan should decide to keep me. The only thing I can do now is to give my best,” Dest said.

“I think I’m a versatile defender, who can play left and right. I think my best position is as a fullback, but with attacking characteristics. Then the manager will decide.”

Dest added that he feels his style is well suited to how Milan coach Stefano Pioli wants to play.

“Pioli’s game is very good, he can allow me to develop my game in the best possible way,” Dest said. “This season can be an opportunity for me to help the team, developing both my attacking and defensive characteristics.”

Given how Xavi froze him out at Barcelona, Dest’s best bet moving forward may be to convince Milan by the end of the season that he’s worth €20m.

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Pulisic on his FIFA 23 rating: ‘Pace and dribbling very happy, everything else is horrible!’

As Kai Havertz said: “73 [passing rating] looks like you can’t even pass the ball five meters!”

Count Christian Pulisic among the lengthy list of players who participate in the cherished annual tradition of griping about their FIFA ratings.

EA Sports has begun to unveil its player ratings for the upcoming FIFA 23, which will be released on September 20.

On Monday the top 23 men’s players in the game were revealed, as five players shared the top spot with a 91 overall rating.

Pulisic, along with Chelsea teammates Kai Havertz and Ruben Loftus-Cheek participated in a video posted on Chelsea’s YouTube page in which they discussed various elements of Chelsea’s ratings in the game.

When it came time to be presented with their full ratings, Pulisic was nonplussed.

Looking at his card he said with a laugh: “Right here looks great: pace and dribbling [I’m] very happy, everything else is actually horrible!”

Havertz added: “73 [passing rating] looks like you can’t even pass the ball five meters!”

Loftus-Cheek also chimed in: “Who’s the guy who does this? Is he a Tottenham fan?”

Pulisic was given a strong 87 rating for pace and an 86 for dribbling, but he was given 71 for shooting, 37 for defense, 73 for passing and 59 for physicality, with an overall rating of 82.

At least Pulisic wasn’t alone in feeling aggrieved in his rating.

Haverz said of his own ratings: “Pace is not fair, shooting is really not fair and passing also.”

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Ricardo Pepi admits he struggled to adapt to life in Germany

“A different country, a different culture and a different competition. It was honestly a lot at the same time”

Ricardo Pepi has opened up on his struggles to adapt to the Bundesliga and life in Germany after his move to Augsburg in January.

Augsburg broke its club record when it shelled out $20 million to sign Pepi from FC Dallas, but the U.S. national team striker endured a difficult spell in Germany.

Pepi failed to register a single goal or assist for Augsburg, and jumped at the chance to move on loan to Dutch side Groningen last month.

For Pepi, moving to a new country where he didn’t speak the language and adjusting to one of the world’s top leagues at age 18 was a lot to handle.

“It was quite a tough time. A different country, a different culture and a different competition. It was honestly a lot at the same time,” Pepi told Voetbal International.

Pepi faced an uphill battle for playing time with Augsburg this season, and believed his adaptation to the European game would be slowed if he couldn’t play regularly.

“My feeling was that I could only adapt to the European way of playing football by playing a lot somewhere,” the 19-year-old said. “That probably wasn’t going to happen in Germany yet.”

Pepi registered his first goal involvement in Europe on his Groningen debut, tallying an assist on Sunday. But he still appears to face long odds for a World Cup berth with the USMNT as his goal drought approaches a full year.

The striker has not given up on a berth on the World Cup roster, however, saying that making the squad for Qatar was another major reason behind his move to the Eredivisie.

“I really want to be there,” Pepi said of the World Cup. “The national team coach has said that it is important that I play a lot.”

Asked what his goal is for the upcoming months and Pepi was clear: “Play a lot and score for FC Groningen and go to the World Cup. That is the plan.”

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