Tag: Christian Pulisic

Pulisic gives Berhalter a bear hug, slams ‘childish’ Reyna controversy

The USMNT star is clearly in his coach’s corner

Christian Pulisic has spoken out about the controversy that has embroiled the U.S. men’s national team since the World Cup, expressing his frustration with the “childish” behavior of the Reyna family.

U.S. Soccer released the results of an independent investigation this week, which detailed years of meddling by Danielle and Claudio Reyna on behalf of their son Gio. The report included details of the Reynas’ now-infamous revelation of a 1992 domestic violence incident involving Gregg Berhalter to U.S. Soccer officials.

The investigation also revealed that Berhalter, now out of contract, was forthcoming about the 1992 incident, which led U.S. Soccer to declare that he is still a candidate for another term at the helm of the USMNT.

Pulisic, often guarded with the media, showed his irritation with the entire series of events while also offering his backing to Berhalter.

“I’m not here to appoint the next manager — it’s not my job — and whoever it is I’m going to play and give it 100%,” Pulisic told ESPN in an interview.

“Everything that happened with Gregg, first of all, has been handled in an extremely childish manner. I think we’ve seen what’s been going on. I think it’s childish, it’s youth soccer, people complaining about playing time. I don’t want to go too far into that, but I think Gregg has been extremely unfortunate to get into the position he is in now.”

Pulisic was obviously referring to Danielle and Claudio Reyna when using the term “childish” but was he talking about Gio Reyna too? That isn’t as clear, but it’s worth remembering that the Dortmund star’s complaints over his reduced role at the World Cup precipitated much of the subsequent imbroglio.

The Chelsea winger nearly went as far as endorsing Berhalter for another tenure at the helm of the USMNT, saying he is hopeful the team can build off the positives from the 2022 World Cup.

“Do I feel like we should just wait and wait? I don’t think it’s necessary, because we are not in a phase like we were after not qualifying [for the 2018 World Cup] where we needed a complete rebuild,” Pulisic said.

“We don’t need a bunch of new guys coming in. We have a strong core in my opinion — people have seen that and we need to carry on with that,” he added. “It’s a tough one for me because we should continue that as soon as we can and build off this World Cup, which I think had a lot of positives in it. We want to get going with that as soon as we can.”

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Pulisic back in Chelsea squad after two-month injury absence

The USMNT winger is in line to face his former team in a massive Champions League game

Christian Pulisic will be in Chelsea’s squad for Tuesday’s Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund, head coach Graham Potter has confirmed.

Pulisic has not played for the Blues since early January, when he suffered a knee injury in a match against Manchester City.

The 24-year-old returned to training two weeks ago and has been making steady progress as he nears a return to the pitch.

At his pre-match press conference on Monday, Potter confirmed that Pulisic will be in Chelsea’s squad for the must-win match against his former side.

‘Christian is in the squad,” Potter said. “He’s training well and looking good.”

Chelsea fell 1-0 to Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park in the last-16 first leg in February, and must win in London on Tuesday against a team that has won 10 straight matches in all competitions.

“They are in a fantastic vein of form,” Potter said. “Just see their results in the Bundesliga where they are winning constantly. That tells you they are doing a lot well. They have good individuals and it will be a good challenge.”

The pressure on Potter eased somewhat over the weekend, as Chelsea beat Leeds 1-0 for the team’s first win since January. But speculation over Potter’s future will quickly ramp back up if Chelsea is eliminated from Europe on Tuesday night.

Despite the club’s terrible run of form, Potter insisted that his side is in a positive state of mind ahead of a season-defining match.

“The mood has been positive throughout,” he said. “Not happy, joking and smiling, but there has been a support for each other and a good atmosphere. At the same time, you have to take responsibility that we were not in a good place [from a] results perspective. When you win a game, your smile comes back.”

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Pulisic back in training, nearing return to sinking ship that is Chelsea

The USMNT star will return to a club currently on a run of two wins from 14 games

Christian Pulisic is back in training for Chelsea as he nears a return from a knee injury suffered last month.

Pulisic was forced out of Chelsea’s game against Manchester City on January 5 and has not played since, with manager Graham Potter saying at the time he expected the American to be out “a couple of months.”

The 24-year-old was back with his teammates on Wednesday, with Mason Mount posting a picture on Instagram of the pair on the training pitch.

The Evening Standard says that Sunday’s game against Tottenham will come too soon for Pulisic, but Chelsea is hopeful he’ll be back for the following weekend’s game against Leeds.

Pulisic was injured with Chelsea languishing in 10th place in the Premier League and the club is still in 10th place, even after a January transfer window that saw the Blues spend more on players than each of the other four top leagues in Europe.

Potter is under huge pressure after just two wins from 14 games, and will be happy to welcome Pulisic back despite Chelsea having signed several expensive players in his position since his injury.

Pulisic only started five games for the Blues prior to the World Cup break, but started all three games after he turned in a strong tournament with the USMNT in Qatar.

The club isn’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard in Pulisic’s absence, with a paltry three goals in the eight games since his injury.

The latest nadir came last weekend as Chelsea contrived to lose 1-0 at home to Southampton, which entered the game bottom of the Premier League.

Pulisic may be back soon but if Chelsea doesn’t get a result against Spurs, the USMNT star could be playing for his third head coach of the season by the time he returns to the pitch.

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Netherlands is no juggernaut and the USMNT have a golden opportunity to advance in the World Cup

The U.S. has its best shot to advance to the quarterfinals in a long time.

If you stripped away all context from the United States Men’s National Team’s matchup with the Netherlands in the Round of 16, you’d wonder how the USMNT could possibly survive the “Oranje.” Take a closer look and, whoa, wait — you realize the current Dutch squad is actually a shell of the team featuring Arjen Robben, Wesley Schneider, and Robin Van Persie that lost in the 2010 World Cup Final.

(Robin Williams in Jumanji voice): What year is it???

At this incredibly late realization, I tell you the USMNT should not be intimidated by the modern iteration of the famed Scandivanian Orange in the least. If anything, this is one of the more favorable matchups on paper for an American squad that seems primed to finally make a deep World Cup run.

It’s easy to say that Memphis Depay and Co. should have the edge over USMNT. After all, they had relatively little trouble running rampant through Group A of this World Cup. The Dutch recorded two clean sheets, conceded just one goal and otherwise mostly did what they pleased to their group. At the moment, the young Cody Gakpo (three goals) could be in line for the Golden Boot, and the Dutch play a quality, balanced attacking style out of a solid 3-4-1-2 formation. Given their established reputation of past success, they might be a legit dark horse for a solid run through the knockout stages.

On the other hand, we saw cracks in the Dutch armor against Ecuador. The speed of the Ecuadorian team, led by Enner Valencia, saw it pepper the fateful Orange with 15 shots (four on goal), while the Netherlands barely sustained any offense (two shots; one on goal) in a 1-1 draw. On a better day for Ecuador, they rout the Netherlands, upsetting a traditional European power.

On paper, the USMNT have more firepower and better defensive integrity to make the Dutch regret avoidable mistakes. Thanks to the efforts of lightning-quick talismans like Tyler Adams, the U.S. conceded just one goal in the group stage, even nullifying the offense of a World Cup favorite in England. (Not to mention that a healthy Christian Pulisic might be the best player on the field and can influence the action the most as a true No. 10.) Aside from a glaring gap of a truly great striker — the reason the USMNT offense can often be underwhelming in the final third — there’s enough American speed here to push most comers, especially if those opponents don’t bring their A-game.

Plus, seriously, look at this underlying statistical performance from Adams against England — who is, once again, a huge World Cup favorite and a true soccer titan. It’s absurd:

I’m not sure if this iteration of the Dutch even if have an A-game! That is unless Robben is coming out of retirement at 38 years old. (I wouldn’t advise that.)

Nonetheless, I understand the aversion to favoring the USMNT on a platform they’ve failed to advance past since 2002. Younger squads like this must prove they belong before you start betting on their success. But the Dutch — currently No. 8 in FIFA’s official World Rankings — have the pungent scent of “overrated”. The expectation from the international community will be that they dispatch the pesky, upstart Americans. But I wouldn’t overlook the USMNT here. I see a straight-line path to the quarterfinals for an “underdog” already punching above its weight class on the world stage.

I believe that they will … put up a great fight.

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An overjoyed Christian Pulisic cheered on USMNT from the hospital and assured fans he’d be ready for the knockout stage

He’s okay!

Christian Pulisic didn’t let a strike to the unmentionables keep him from celebrating the United States’ big World Cup win over Iran.

Pulisic made the heroic move to take a knee to the groin on his incredible goal that set up the 1-0 win over Iran on Tuesday.

The win puts the U.S. in the Round of 16 for a game against Netherlands on Saturday.

Even Captain America needs medical attention sometimes, with Pulisic sharing a jubilant social media update as he predictably gets his groin checked out after quite literally taking one for the team.

It seems that Pulisic will be all squared away for Saturday’s big showdown.

Pulisic’s goal will surely go down in U.S. World Cup history, as will his gumption to take such a shot in the family jewels.

The U.S. national team will need a lot more from Pulisic if it’s to challenge Netherlands to continue to represent the red, white and blue in Qatar.

We have a feeling that, if Pulisic can take a hit like this, there’s not a lot he can’t do during this year’s tournament.

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Christian Pulisic scored a painful goal for the USMNT and everyone was in awe of his groin

Christian Pulisic, you gosh darn hero.

The United States Men’s National Team is battling Iran in the World Cup right now with a trip to the knockout stage on the line. So yeah, it’s a huge game and the path is an easy one for the U.S. – win and advance. Lose and go home.

Well, Christian Pulisic is not ready to go home and the star player of the USMNT is apparently willing to risk it all to make sure that doesn’t happen. The 24-year-old forward scored the opening goal of the game and he did so in painful fashion as he slammed into Iran’s goalkeeper as the ball went in the net.

Check this out:

His poor groin. That couldn’t have felt good at all.

Pulisic took some time on the sidelines before going back in the game:

UPDATE: He did not come out for the second half and we hope all is ok with the USMNT hero.

Soccer fans were in awe of his groin.

Best Cyber Monday deals for soccer fans

The best soccer gift ideas to celebrate the holidays, the World Cup and our love of the game.

Adidas, New Balance, Fanatics and many others on this list are offering major sales for Cyber Monday. The prices listed below are full retail, so click through to find sale prices and save big while getting the perfect gift for the soccer fan in your life.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, soccer fans!

For the first time ever, the World Cup and the holiday season collide to bring us tidings of great joy.

Pro Soccer Wire is here to help with both. Check back for our daily World Cup coverage throughout the tournament and check below for the best gift ideas for the soccer fan in your life, including PSW’s own very first soccer jersey.

Made with our friends at Icarus FC, this jersey will have you on the right side of history as the USMNT is back in soccer’s grandest stage for the first time in eight years.

Whether you train on the pitch at any level, or just scream at the TV from your couch, we’ve got you covered with these best gifts for soccer fans.

USMNT player ratings: Adams, McKennie, Ream help secure World Cup draw vs. England

A smart adjustment from Gregg Berhalter ends with an impressive draw

The U.S. men’s national team stepped it up against England, securing a 0-0 draw in which they had the better of the game’s few chances.

The USMNT may have been slightly disappointed with one point against Wales, after dominating in the first half and leading until the final stages, but it’s hard to have too many serious complaints after they held the Three Lions to virtually no serious chances.

We’ll have deeper analysis in the future, but during the World Cup we’ll be giving a quick breakdown of each USMNT player’s performance.

Our scale:

  • 1: Abysmal. Literally any member of Pro Soccer Wire’s staff would have been been able to play at this level.
  • 6: Adequate. This is our base score.
  • 10: Transcendent, era-defining performance. This is Maradona vs. England in 1986.

USMNT player ratings: Adams, Weah the best from World Cup draw against Wales

The USMNT needed one more standout, and one less mistake

A strong start from the U.S. men’s national team wasn’t quite enough for them to get their first World Cup win since June 16, 2014.

The USMNT dominated the first half and took a deserved lead through Tim Weah, but fell under progressively more pressure and conceded a late Gareth Bale penalty kick, sealing a 1-1 draw that is neither satisfactory nor a disaster.

It’s a bit of a tough game to parse, with many players doing an adequate job, a couple being outright good, and one major mistake undoing their efforts. We’ll have deeper analysis in the future, but during the World Cup we’ll be giving a quick breakdown of each USMNT player’s performance.

Our scale:

  • 1: Abysmal. Literally any member of Pro Soccer Wire’s staff would have been been able to play at this level.
  • 6: Adequate. This is our base score.
  • 10: Transcendent, era-defining performance. This is Maradona vs. England in 1986.

What club teams are USMNT’s World Cup players on?

You’ve heard of Christian Pulisic, but what about Luca de la Torre?

The U.S. men’s national team is carrying 26 players on its roster at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

And we’re betting that there’s a chance you’re not totally familiar with every single player on the team.

If you’re at least a casual soccer fan, you probably know who Christian Pulisic is. If you follow the European leagues closely, then perhaps you’ve heard of Sergino Dest. If you’re a devout MLS fan, then you’re well-acquainted with the Nashville SC defending duo of Walker Zimmerman and Shaq Moore.

But what about Ethan Horvath, Joe Scally or Tim Weah?

To help you get to know these American players a little bit better, we’ve listed the club team that each of them plays for.

When the World Cup is over, we totally expect you to become an avid fan of Turkish side Antalyaspor in support of Haji Wright, obviously.

And no, none of these players feature for Ted Lasso at AFC Richmond. Or Wrexham AFC, the club in Wales owned by Ryan Reynolds.

GOALKEEPERS

  • Matt Turner, Arsenal (England)
  • Sean Johnson, NYCFC (MLS)
  • Ethan Horvath, Luton Town (England)

DEFENDERS

  • Cameron Carter-Vickers, Celtic (Scotland)
  • Sergino Dest, AC Milan (Italy)
  • Aaron Long, NY Red Bulls (MLS)
  • Shaq Moore, Nashville SC (MLS)
  • Tim Ream, Fulham (England)
  • Antonee Robinson, Fulham (England)
  • Joe Scally, Borussia Mönchengladbach (Germany)
  • Walker Zimmerman, Nashville SC (MLS)

MIDFIELDERS

  • Brenden Aaronson, Leeds United (England)
  • Kellyn Acosta, LAFC (MLS)
  • Tyler Adams, Leeds United (England)
  • Luca de la Torre, Celta Vigo (Spain)
  • Weston McKennie, Juventus (Italy)
  • Yunus Musah, Valenica (Spain)
  • Cristian Roldan, Seattle Sounders (MLS)

FORWARDS

  • Jesus Ferreira, FC Dallas (MLS)
  • Jordan Morris, Seattle Sounders (MLS)
  • Christian Pulisic, Chelsea (England)
  • Gio Reyna, Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
  • Josh Sargent, Norwich City (England)
  • Tim Weah, Lille OSC (France)
  • Haji Wright, Antalyaspor (Turkey)

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