Tag: Christian Pulisic

Christian Pulisic calls out ‘amount’ of United States fans at USMNT friendly win over Morocco

He wasn’t happy.

Christian Pulisic told it like it was after USMNT defeated Morocco 3-0 on Wednesday night.

After playing at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, the superstar was asked how it felt to be in front of Team USA fans again … and Pulisic didn’t hold back.

“For whatever reason, I’m not super happy with the amount of Americans here, however that works out, if I’m being completely honest,” he said. “But thanks to the ones who did come, and the support is always great from them.”

Whew.

It looked like there were plenty of Americans celebrating an amazing assist by Pulisic, but apparently, Morroco fans may have outnumbered them:

Here’s that assist, by the way, and WOW it’s awesome.

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Pulisic calls out fans in Cincinnati after USMNT win over Morocco

“I’m not super happy with the amount of Americans here,” the captain said

Christian Pulisic had some harsh words for the crowd in Cincinnati after the U.S. men’s national team’s 3-0 win over Morocco on Wednesday night.

Pulisic scored and drew a penalty at TQL Stadium in a friendly win but after the game, he didn’t hesitate to call out what he perceived to be as a lack of support at the stadium.

“I’m not super happy with the amount of Americans here, however that worked out if I’m being completely honest,” Pulisic said in an interview on ESPN. “But thanks to the ones who did come and the support is always great from them.”

The announced attendance for the match was 19,512, several thousand below TQL’s capacity of 26,000.

There were also a number of Morocco fans in the crowd, creating a vociferous atmosphere but perhaps one that wasn’t as pro-America as the team’s star may have liked.

Four of the USMNT’s seven most recent home games have come in the state of Ohio, with two apiece in Columbus and Cincinnati.

The USMNT defeated Mexico 2-0 before a sellout crowd of 26,000 in a World Cup qualifier at TQL Stadium in November 2021.

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‘His come-up has been incredible’ – Pulisic salutes Aaronson after big-money Leeds transfer

The most expensive USMNT player of all-time hailed the player who is now just behind him on the list

Christian Pulisic has saluted Brenden Aaronson’s rapid development after the attacker became the second-most expensive U.S. men’s national team player of all-time last week when he joined Leeds.

Aaronson completed a reported $30 million move from Red Bull Salzburg, and now trails only Pulisic ($73m to Chelsea in 2019) on the list of highest transfer fees ever paid for a USMNT player.

Though Pulisic is only two years older, Aaronson has cited him as an inspiration for moving to Europe as a teenager with Borussia Dortmund. Aaronson followed in Pulisic’s footsteps when he left the Philadelphia Union at age 20 to join Salzburg.

Pulisic told reporters that he was happy to hear Aaronson – who grew up in Medford, N.J., just over two hours from his hometown of Hershey, Pa. – cited him as a big reason he made the jump to Europe.

“That’s a big reason why I do what I do. I hope to inspire kids and anyone really,” Pulisic said.

“I was also inspired by people close to my age that made it right before me, a lot of the guys playing in Europe, a lot of the American national team guys at the time, whether it was Clint [Dempsey] or Geoff Cameron, [Alejandro] Bedoya, those guys inspired me and I wanted to do exactly that.

“I’m happy any way I can help Brenden. You can see his come-up has been incredible. Now he’s going to be playing in the Premier League … it’s exciting. And hopefully that will just continue to go on and on. Now he’s going to inspire the next kid.”

Pulisic endorses Aaronson in the middle

Aaronson has been deployed mostly as a winger during his 18 career appearances with the USMNT but on Tuesday, head coach Gregg Berhalter said he would be starting the 21-year-old centrally in Wednesday’s friendly against Morocco.

Pulisic, who himself shifts between central and wide attacking positions, has endorsed the idea of his teammate playing in the middle.

“I think he’s a player that can absolutely play multiple positions,” Pulisic said. “He’s a guy who can bring you so much energy even against the ball, and then we all know about his quality on the ball as well and how he can hurt you as well. So I think it can work out very well.”

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FA Cup Final: Penalty heartbreak for Chelsea again vs. Liverpool

The FA Cup final was an echo of the Carabao Cup, with Liverpool and Chelsea playing out a scoreless draw once again, and the Reds taking the trophy on penalties for the second time in less than three months.

Liverpool’s pursuit of a quadruple is alive after they lifted the FA Cup at Wembley Saturday, defeating Chelsea 6-5 on penalties after 120 scoreless minutes.

Kostas Tsimikas fired home the winning penalty in the seventh round after Alisson saved Mason Mount’s effort. With the game on the line in the fifth round of shots, Sadio Mané saw his potential winning penalty saved by Édouard Mendy, only for Liverpool to recover and win the tiebreaker.

The victory keeps Liverpool in the running to make history, as they pursue England’s first-ever quadruple. The Reds have now won both domestic cups (beating Chelsea on penalties in the Carabao Cup final back in February), and still have the Champions League final against Real Madrid coming up in two weeks. In the league, they trail Manchester City by three points with two matches left to play.

The two sides produced draws in league play and then needed penalties to separate them in February’s Carabao Cup final, which like today’s game finished in a scoreless draw. Despite chances at both ends, some wayward finishing and late fatigue assured yet another level finish between two of England’s top sides.

Liverpool had all the early chances, with Mendy’s 8th minute save on Sadio Mané proving crucial. However, after about 30 minutes, Chelsea stabilized, and both teams struck the woodwork. Marcos Alonso saw a free kick strike the crossbar moments into the second half, while Liverpool hit both posts in the late stages. Mendy saw a Luis Díaz shot clip his left post, and within a minute, Andrew Robertson’s volley cracked off the other side of the goal frame.

Beyond Liverpool winning their first FA Cup since 2006, the biggest storyline in this game is a potentially worrisome injury for Mohamed Salah. Liverpool’s star forward took a seat on the Wembley pitch due to an apparent injury, with Jürgen Klopp forced to replace him with Diogo Jota in the 33rd minute.

Christian Pulisic watch

Pulisic, starting on the right side of the Chelsea front three before a late move into the center forward role, was arguably the Blues’ most dangerous player on the day, but couldn’t find the breakthrough goal.

He nearly stunned Liverpool with a 22nd minute chance—the first true look for Chelsea—that he pushed just wide from 14 yards. The USMNT star created two good looks for Marcos Alonso, before being denied by Alisson moments into the second half.

In the end, Pulisic played through the first 105 minutes, being replaced during the break in extra time by Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Christian Pulisic put Jesse Marsch and Leeds in even bigger relegation trouble

It was the first time an American player scored against an American coach in the Premier League

There was some American-on-American violence in the Premier League on Wednesday, with Christian Pulisic profiting at Jesse Marsch’s expense.

Marsch’s Leeds side is in serious danger of relegation, and they faced a difficult task when Chelsea came to Elland Road on Wednesday.

That task was made much more difficult within the game’s first 24 minutes. After Mason Mount gave Chelsea the lead in the fourth minute, Dan James was shown a straight red card for a horrendous challenge on Mateo Kovacic.

Ten minutes into the second half, Pulisic put the game all but out of 10-man Leeds’ reach. Mount found Pulisic with a lay-off at the top of the box, and the American calmly slotted home with his left foot to make it 2-0.

It was Pulisic’s sixth Premier League goal of the season and eighth in all competitions. The goal was also the first time an American player had scored against an American coach in the Premier League.

Chelsea would comfortably win the match 3-0, leaving Leeds in 18th place, the final relegation position. With two games to play, Leeds is even on points with 17th-place Burnley, but the Clarets have three games left to play and a far superior goal differential to Leeds.

Watch Pulisic’s goal for Chelsea

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Here’s when you can watch USMNT’s World Cup 2022 group stage games on TV

What a comfortable draw for the Americans.

The dust has settled, and the names have been released from the tiny soccer balls. We know who is guaranteed to play each other in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. We also know who to expect to come out on top. What a fun little web we weave as a soccer community.

What we didn’t know is when the United States — which will be in its first World Cup in eight years — will play over the holiday season. It appears the FIFA schedule makers have a soft spot for the Americans (and they really, really want those TV dollars).

When you start to kick back in late November to watch the Americans in the World Cup group stage, you’ll be able to do it on a lovely, lazy afternoon.

All three USMNT World Cup group stage games start at 2 p.m. Eastern. Huh.

Does any other team have the same advantage of consistency? Count your lucky stars that you can see Christian Pulisic in his first World Cup, halfway across the world, while you’re still wide awake.

As far as what you can expect from USMNT, Tipico Sportsbook has the Americans at +10000 to win the World Cup. That would slot them in at a comfortable 18th overall. So, not likely. But hey, crazier things have happened. And at least you’ll get to watch the U.S. soccer madness while there’s still light outside.

Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO).

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Despite loss, USMNT clinches first World Cup Berth in almost a decade

The long national nightmare is over.

Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, the adage remains wholly true: Good things come to those who wait. And wait. And wait. And wait.

After an eight-year absence from one of the most prestigious sports tournaments in the world, the United States Men’s National Team has officially clinched a World Cup berth. They almost made it (somewhat) interesting against Costa Rica (+260) in a 2-0 loss in the final qualifying game. Though, to sink to those putrid levels, the U.S. Men would’ve had to endure an all-time, unprecedented (again, somewhat) historic collapse.

Instead, it’s a night of joy. Behind a promising squad led by one of international soccer’s best players, Christian Pulisic, USMNT will head to Qatar in late November with high hopes. For a domestic soccer program that’s seen a lot of turmoil (much of it self-inflicted) in recent years, it’s been a long time coming to say the least.

While they won’t be one of the favorites in November, Pulisic and Co. do stand a good chance to make a dent. If they bring their A-game, the No. 13 team in the FIFA World Rankings will pose a solid test to most any comers when the greater soccer community gathers in the Middle East.

But it’s time to sit back for now. The USMNT should revel in getting the World Cup berth monkey off their back. Eight years is a long time, dear reader. To end such a drought was certainly no easy task.

Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO).

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Christian Pulisic went berserk on Panama, notched a jaw-dropping hat trick

Captain America put his men on his back.

Plain and simple, to qualify for the World Cup, you need your best players to show up. Without them firing on all cylinders, you might as well be without a paddle up the creek. From that respect, the United State’s Men’s National Team is in suitable, capable, and trustworthy hands.

In case you live under a rock (no shame, of course), Christian Pulisic is the U.S.’s talisman. He’s one of the best, pure attacking players in the world. On Saturday night, amidst an important 2022 qualifying game against Panama (+725) for this coming November’s tournament, Pulisic made his presence known.

And then some.

The U.S. men throttled Panama, 5-1. I almost wish that was an understatement. They did it, largely thanks to Pulisic, who could not and would not stop potting the ball in the back of the net.

First, Pulisic put the Americans on the board with an early, quite casual penalty.

Folks, I know it’s very close to the goalmouth, but it’s not supposed to be that easy.

Then, with the U.S. already up 3-0 at the end of the first half, they wanted a coup de gras. Pulisic would not waste the opportunity or the penalty.

Imagine being that goalie. You guess right and react fast enough. You did your job. But the other player is just that much better than you — by a foot over your outstretched hands. Devastating.

It is at this point that an American win was all but assured. Barring an unlikely Panamian second-half barrage, the U.S. did not necessarily have to score another goal. And, of course, Pulisic didn’t have to make seemingly every defender on the field look absolutely silly.

But he did anyway.

A hat trick, Pulisic’s first on an international stage. Steve Rogers wishes he could be as gifted and as mind-blowing as Pulisic on the first touch.

The U.S. men did not yet officially qualify for this November’s World Cup with the win. To miss out, they’d have to get (historically) molly-whopped by Costa Rica next week. That’s, well, probably not going to happen!

The Americans have Pulisic to thank for his uncommon brilliance. Something says he’ll continue to be a transcendent steward for this team.

Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO).

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Christian Pulisic’s ‘Man in the Mirror’ shirt, explained

Christian Pulisic absolutely trolled Mexico with this awesome shirt after scoring a goal.

Christian Pulisic, man. This dude is just the gift that keeps on giving for the US Men’s National Soccer team.

He was absolutely phenomenal in their win over Mexico on Friday, scoring a goal to break the ice and put the United States up 1-0 in the 74th minute of their World Cup qualifier match. The U.S. ultimately won, 2-0.

But it wasn’t just the goal that caught everyone’s eyes or even the score. It was what he did after he scored the goal that people just kept talking about.

Celebrations after goals always generally get pretty lively. But after Pulisic scored his goal against Mexico, he began lifting his shirt — not to take it off, but to reveal something.

Underneath his kit he wore a shirt saying “man in the mirror.”

Initially, that doesn’t make a ton of sense. That is, until you realize some of the recent barbs traded between the USMNT and Mexico.

That’s when things get a little spicy. This was all just an elaborate troll.

USMNT, Chelsea star Christian Pulisic attended Jets game in London

Christian Pulisic, a winger for the USMNT and Chelsea, didn’t have to travel far to watch his favorite NFL team play in London.

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U.S. men’s national soccer team star and Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic was at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday to watch the New York Jets take on the Atlanta Falcons in one of the NFL’s international games.

Pulisic lives in the London area and his Premier League club, Chelsea, are based just 10 miles from Tottenham, where the NFL plays several games each season.

Pulisic was born and raised in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a little less than three hours west of East Rutherford, New Jersey, where the Jets play at MetLife Stadium. Despite their struggles, the Jets are Pulisic’s favorite team.

The USMNT have a World Cup qualifying match against Panama in Panama City on Sunday evening but Pulisic stayed behind with his club in England to continue rehabbing from an ankle injury during the international window.

Adding insult to injury, the Jets lost to the Falcons 27-20 with Pulisic in attendance on Sunday.

Pulisic should be recovered in time for the next international window in November that will feature a USMNT home match vs. Mexico in Cincinnati, Ohio. As for the Jets, they now have a bye week before going on the road to face the New England Patriots in Week 7.