Tag: Christian Pulisic

Christian Pulisic bags first AC Milan goal in friendly vs. Monza

Pulisic is staying productive in Milan’s preseason

Christian Pulisic is already off the mark for AC Milan.

The U.S. men’s national team star followed up on a saved penalty kick to score as Milan eventually went on to defeat AC Monza in the inaugural Trofeo Silvio Berlusconi, a preseason friendly between the two clubs the late Italian Prime Minister once owned.

At Monza’s Stadio Brianteo, Pulisic played 79 minutes on the right wing for the Rossoneri, and played a crucial role in Milan’s only goal in what was a 1-1 draw in regulation. Milan would go on to win the match on penalties 6-5.

Pulisic has been influential with Milan already, notching two assists in his first preseason friendly appearance, and he appears to be very much a first-choice option for manager Stefano Pioli.

In the 28th minute of Tuesday’s friendly, Pulisic — pushing high and wide on the right flank — received a long ball that caught Monza out.

From there, the USMNT attacker cut inside, combining with two of his former Chelsea teammates who have set up shop in Serie A. First, Pulisic played a one-two with Ruben Loftus-Cheek (who says he helped persuade Pulisic to join him at the San Siro), and then he looked for a second combination with Olivier Giroud.

Before he could arrive and go to goal, though, Monza’s Danilo D’Ambrosio awkwardly swiped Pulisic’s legs out from under him, granting Milan a penalty.

Pulisic stepped up to take the spot kick himself, and while he couldn’t beat goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio with his shot, the rebound fell perfectly for the Hershey, Penn. native to touch home.

Pulisic’s teammate for club and country, Yunus Musah, was in uniform for Milan but ended up being an unused substitute.

Watch Pulisic’s first AC Milan goal

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AC Milan’s Rafael Leao is Christian Pulisic’s newest fan

Changing clubs? Better impress your new team’s best player

It looks like Christian Pulisic is quickly winning over just about everyone at AC Milan.

Milan’s Rafael Leão said that Pulisic’s summer transfer from Chelsea has been a big plus for the team, and that the U.S. men’s national team star has impressed so far.

“I really like him,” Leão told ESPN in an interview published on Tuesday. “I like players that are not afraid to get the ball and go one against one, one against two, one against three. He’s fast. He can shoot with the left foot, with the right foot. I’m really enjoying it.”

Pulisic has hit the ground running, providing two assists in the early minutes of a preseason rout of lower-division side FC Lumezzane last week. On Sunday, in front of a far larger crowd at the Rose Bowl, Pulisic got another assist as Milan fell 3-2 to Real Madrid in a Soccer Champions Tour friendly.

Leão was by far Milan’s most effective attacking player in 2022-23, leading the team in goals (15) and assists (10). Olivier Giroud’s 13 goals represented the only other Rossoneri player to hit double digits in either category.

That appeared to be on Leão’s mind, as the Portugal attacker said that Pulisic will both make the attack better, and add competition for places on a team that finished a disappointing fourth in Serie A last season.

“I feel good because [adding Pulisic] pushes me as well to do more,” said Leão. “Imagine, maybe the coach [Stefano Pioli] can put Pulisic in my position. But in my head, he has quality to help the team, to make the difference, like me. It’s important to have similar players, high level, high quality players…this will help us get trophies.”

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Pulisic impressing AC Milan manager Pioli, gets two assists in preseason match

Pulisic’s start to life in Italy sounds promising

Christian Pulisic has only been at AC Milan for a few days, but his new boss is loving what he’s seeing.

Manager Stefano Pioli, in an interview with Sky Sports Italy, said that the U.S. men’s national team star has already shown the qualities that saw Milan help free him from Chelsea in a €22 million transfer completed on July 13.

“Pulisic is a player,” enthused Pioli. “When I say that, I mean that he is someone who knows how to do the right thing at the right time. And when you have someone like him at your disposal, things become easier.”

Serie A has always been noted as a league where decision-making and tactical understanding are prized traits, and Pioli added that the Pennsylvania native is showing he belongs at one of the league’s true giants.

“He is certainly intelligent,” said Pioli. “[He] beats his man, both in one-on-ones, in give-and-go or on through balls. He is of the level — and is different from — his teammates.”

While Pulisic’s role for the USMNT has been pretty consistently defined for years now, Pioli said that between a willingness to vary his formations and Pulisic’s own versatility, his position at AC Milan might change throughout the season.

Pulisic “can play in various positions,” explained Pioli before noting that Milan — who toggled back and forth between a 4-2-3-1 system and various back three formations last season — will consider using a 4-3-3 as a starting point in the upcoming campaign.

Playing on the left wing, Pulisic produced two assists and struck the post in the opening 17 minutes of a 7-0 friendly win over Serie D club FC Lumezzane on Thursday.

“A lot will depend on the knowledge we have on the pitch, or if other players arrive,” said Pioli. “We will also use other systems, but we’re already used to changing within the same match… I continue to believe that different characteristics, in a well-defined game system, can give a team more unpredictability.”

Based on Pulisic’s start to life with the Rossoneri, it looks like one thing we can predict is a bigger role than he got at Chelsea.

Watch Pulisic’s assists for AC Milan

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Pulisic arrives at AC Milan with big smile, new jersey number

The USMNT star will get a fresh start in Italy

Christian Pulisic’s move from England to Italy seems to be off to a great start.

The 24-year-old American arrived in Milan on Wednesday and passed his physical. He has now officially signed a four-year contract with his new Serie A club.

Pulisic seems happy to have left Chelsea for a fresh start, arriving to a scrum of reporters on Wednesday with a huge smile on his face.

“I’m very happy to be here,” Pulisic told media members at the airport. “I’m excited. I’m excited to start with this historic club.”

Here’s a quick look at some of the highlights from Pulisic’s arrival and presentation in Milan.

Christian Pulisic to reunite with buddy Olivier Giroud in Italy

Olivier Giroud and Christian Pulisic had great chemistry together at Chelsea and they are now reuniting at AC Milan.

Christian Pulisic is taking his talents to Italy, leaving Chelsea and the Premier League to join AC Milan in Serie A.

In Milan, Pulisic will reunite with several old friends and teammates, including Fikayo Tomori, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Olivier Giroud, the French striker who scored 18 goals and added seven assists in all competitions with the Rossoneri last season.

Pulisic and Giroud were teammates at Chelsea from 2019 to 2021, winning the Champions League together during the 2020-21 season. They had quite the connection in England, one that was put on display in July 2020.

Before a game against Norwich City, video from a tunnel camera appeared to show Giroud giving Pulisic specific instructions for a pass from the wing. Pulisic seemed to follow those instructions perfectly, because he delivered a well-placed cross to Giroud from the left wing just before halftime.

Giroud scored what ended up being the deciding goal in a 1-0 victory:

Giroud was clearly pleased with Pulisic’s pass, so much so that he shoved a teammate out of the way so he could celebrate with the American before anyone else.

Giroud left Chelsea after the 2020-2021 season to join AC Milan. During an interview on “Morning Footy” in May, Giroud was asked about his time in England and his on-field connection with Pulisic.

“My understanding on the pitch with him was top, a bit like Eden [Hazard], even if I played less with Christian,” Giroud told CBS Sports. “He was that kind of player who is very skillful. He can dribble, he can play the one-two — he knew how to use me on the pitch and vice versa. We had good times together. … He’s a very, very talented player.”

They are now reunited in Italy and the 24-year-old Pulisic should have plenty of opportunities to send in more crosses to Giroud after the 36-year-old striker signed a contract extension with Milan in April.

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Pulisic seals AC Milan transfer, escaping Chelsea mess

The 24-year-old has officially moved to Serie A after four seasons with Chelsea

Christian Pulisic is swapping out Stamford Bridge for the San Siro.

The U.S. men’s national team star has clinched an escape from the quagmire that is Chelsea, with AC Milan paying a reported fee of €20 million plus €2m in add-ons to bring the 24-year-old to Serie A.

Pulisic has signed a four-year contract that will keep him in Milan’s red half through the end of the 2026-27 season, with an option to extend his stay for one more season.

He will wear the No. 11 shirt at San Siro.

Pulisic had been linked to a move away for some time, with the Rossoneri becoming the favorites in recent weeks. Pulisic will join multiple former Chelsea players at the San Siro, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fikayo Tomori and Olivier Giroud on manager Stefano Pioli’s roster for the coming season.

Pulisic’s Chelsea exit badly needed

Pulisic joined Chelsea in 2019 in a €64 million move from Borussia Dortmund. The USMNT star thrived in his first Premier League season, scoring nine times and adding six assists despite missing several weeks with an injury.

He wasn’t as statistically successful in the seasons that followed, but despite a coaching change from Frank Lampard to Thomas Tuchel, he scored 14 times in 81 appearances over the next two seasons. However, 2022-23 was unhappy for all parties: Pulisic started just eight times in the Premier League, Chelsea cycled through four head coaches, and new owner Todd Boehly watched his expensively-assembled, over-stuffed squad finish in an embarrassing 12th place.

With locker room space at a premium at Stamford Bridge and, from Pulisic’s perspective, a need to get back on the field, a transfer to Serie A makes sense. It’s also a huge boost for USMNT fans worried that arguably the team’s best player would spend another season languishing at a club whose priorities aren’t clear.

While Chelsea sorts themselves out, Pulisic will be suiting up for a club that qualified for the 2023-24 Champions League, and that appears to need him. Milan certainly has some players who will compete with Pulisic for time — including Alexis Saelemaekers, Ante Rebić, and Junior Messias — but their move for the USMNT winger signals that he is the presumptive favorite to start opposite Rafael Leão, and alongside another ex-Chelsea man in Olivier Giroud.

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Loftus-Cheek: I’ve been telling Pulisic to come to AC Milan

Agent Loftus-Cheek has been on the case

Ruben Loftus-Cheek has said he’s been urging Christian Pulisic to join him in making the move from Chelsea to AC Milan.

Loftus-Cheek was presented to the media on Tuesday after joining the Rossoneri in a reported €15 million deal.

Pulisic is expected to join Loftus-Cheek at Milan imminently, as the U.S. national team star wraps up a €20 million move from Chelsea.

Speaking to the Italian press, Loftus-Cheek confirmed reports that Pulisic is expected in Milan on Wednesday for a medical, adding that he’s been urging the winger to follow his footsteps and trade Stamford Bridge for the San Siro.

“I think he arrives tomorrow,” the England midfielder said of Pulisic. “But I’ve been speaking to him and telling him to do his best to come here, because he’s a top player and a great addition to the squad.”

There will be something of a Chelsea reunion at Milan next season, as Pulisic and Loftus-Cheek will join their former teammates Fikayo Tomori and Olivier Giroud on the squad.

Loftus-Cheek said that his conversations with Tomori helped him decide that Milan would be the best place for him to continue his career.

“When the situation started to evolve, I talked a lot with Fikayo,” Loftus-Cheek said. “He told me wonderful things about the environment: the team, the city, the fans. Tomori assured me that I’ll be at my best. I hope to learn Italian soon.”

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Donovan: Pulisic should have moved to MLS instead of AC Milan

The USMNT legend believes the 24-year-old needs to seek out guaranteed minutes

U.S. national team icon Landon Donovan has opined that Christian Pulisic would have been better off moving to MLS than to AC Milan.

Pulisic is widely reported to be on the verge of joining Milan in a €20 million move from Chelsea, ending a four-year spell at Stamford Bridge.

The 24-year-old wasn’t always first choice at Chelsea, but he is expected to have a clearer path to minutes with the Serie A giants. Speaking on Fox Sports, however, Donovan laid out his belief that Pulisic may have been better off seeking out guaranteed playing time — and enormous money — back at home.

The World Cup is coming in three years. This is once in a lifetime. He’s going to be in the prime of his career, his life as a soccer player, his earning potential — I’m sure he’s making plenty of money — but the ability to come to MLS kind of like [Lionel] Messi did. I’m not so sure that wasn’t a big reason for Messi, the World Cup coming here.

I think it would have been a great move … for the Galaxy to go out and get Christian. Bring him here, pay whatever you have to pay him. Bring an American superstar who has global recognition back to MLS ahead of the World Cup. I think it would have been a great move and I can hear the Twitterverse going crazy.

My biggest thing is he needs to play. I know we all said when he went to Chelsea, ‘He’s going to play a lot.’ He didn’t play a lot, especially last year. At Milan. I would think he’s going play a lot but you just don’t know.

So leading into the World Cup, what if he spends the last six months leading into 2026 like he did this year, then what happens? He’s not playing a lot and he’s not in good form going into the World Cup.

Donovan, of course, took plenty of criticism during his own career for going down the path he laid out for Pulisic. Though he is undoubtedly one of, if not the greatest U.S. men’s player ever, Donovan played the vast majority of his career in MLS.

Former USMNT midfielder Maurice Edu countered by saying that Pulisic was taking a worthwhile risk by going to another club where minutes aren’t guaranteed.

“I’m excited to see what happens for him because I think he’ll be in an environment where nothing’s guaranteed and nothing’s given,” Edu said. “I think that’s the kind of environment where you thrive, where you grow the most, where you have the most success if you can come out of that.”

Donovan did admit that he felt Pulisic would be at his best heading into 2026 if he were playing and thriving at a place like Milan, rather than in MLS.

“The best version is him at a place like Milan, playing every week, killing the league and he’s ready in 2026,” Donovan said. “But there’s a lot of risk.”

“That’s the risk you take, though, right?” Edu countered.

Donovan responded: “Some do — I didn’t.”

Watch Donovan’s take on Pulisic

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Reports: Pulisic set to complete AC Milan transfer

The 24-year-old will begin a new chapter in Italy after four seasons at Stamford Bridge

Christian Pulisic is on the verge of joining AC Milan.

Multiple reports have stated that Chelsea and Milan have reached an agreement for the transfer of the U.S. men’s national team star, who will begin a new chapter of his career in Serie A.

The Athletic reported that Milan will pay an initial €20 million plus €2m in add-ons for Pulisic, who was about to enter the final year of his contract at Chelsea.

The move brings an end to a rocky four-year spell at Stamford Bridge for Pulisic, who put together strong runs of form in sporadic bursts, along with frustrating spells of injury as well as periods outside of Chelsea’s starting lineup.

Pulisic had his worst season at Chelsea in 2022-23, starting just eight Premier League games while scoring only one total goal.

At 24, Pulisic is entering the prime of his career and appears to have found a strong landing spot in Milan, the champions of Italy in 2021-22 and Champions League semifinalists last season.

Amid his up-and-down form at club level, Pulisic has remained a vital piece for the USMNT. He started all four of the team’s games at the 2022 World Cup, scoring one goal and adding two assists.

Overall, Pulisic has scored 25 goals in 60 caps for the USMNT.

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Pulisic: Criticism of Berhalter ‘seems crazy to me’

The USMNT star said the results speak for themselves

Christian Pulisic has hit out against Gregg Berhalter’s critics, saying that the vitriol directed at the recently returned U.S. men’s national team coach “seems crazy.”

Berhalter was reappointed USMNT head coach last week, six months after he left the team following the expiration of his contract.

While he was away from the team, Berhalter was embroiled in a major scandal surrounding his treatment of Gio Reyna during and after the World Cup, which was compounded by Reyna’s parents attempting to blackmail him by offering information to U.S. Soccer about a domestic violence incident in his past.

Pulisic appeared as one of Berhalter’s earliest and most significant backers, saying in March that the behavior of Danielle and Claudio Reyna was “childish” while endorsing Berhalter for another term at the helm.

After criticism of Berhalter’s return spread online, Pulisic again backed his coach this week.

“I just have to give credit where credit’s due and it does frustrate me a little bit, and just seeing just all the negative press towards him that people tell me about, and I can’t fully understand it exactly,” Pulisic told Herculez Gomez in an interview on ESPN’s Futbol Americas.

“He’s come in and won the Nations League, won the Gold Cup, we win the Nations League again. Had a solid World Cup. Are there things that you can criticize here and there? Sure. And I think he’d agree with that, but it just seems a bit crazy to me.”

Pulisic also had some major praise for Reyna, who starred for the USMNT as the team won a second straight CONCACAF Nations League title over the weekend.

“I’d say that this is the best I’ve seen Gio,” Pulisic said. “I was really happy to see it, he’s going to be a big part of this program moving forward. We all see it. We’re continuing to grow our relationship on the field, off the field. I’m enjoying seeing him grow as a player. Everything that’s happened or whatever, I think it’s so far behind us and I love the player that he’s becoming, and the person he is.”

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