With Pulisic delivering one of his best performances for Milan, GOAL US writers discuss the heights he can reach this season
Christian Pulisic is back again. There was so much furor, so much anger about him. Here was the U.S. men's national team star who skipped out on the Gold Cup, bailed when U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino needed him.
Turns out that there’s other football to be played. And Pulisic might be quite good for his club. He was excellent against Napoli Sunday, scoring and assisting to lead to a 2-1 win against last year’s Serie A champs. After five games, Milan are top of the table – who could have predicted that?
With his recent scoring streak, the question begs – is Pulisic officially part of that world-class club? Or is this simply a spark of form at the right time? One thing is for sure: Pochettino is smiling somewhere.
GOAL US writers debate Pulisic’s form and analyze Milan’s Scudetto hopes in the latest edition of… The Rondo
Getty Images SportWhere does Pulisic's showing against Napoli rank among his best?
Tom Hindle: Well, it’s gotta be up there. We’ve seen Pulisic take charge of individual fixtures before, and he was excellent in a couple of games last year. But this seemed seismic. A goal, and an assist in a contest that may be decisive at the end of the year. Immense from the American.
Alex Labidou: It’s definitely in the top three. And part of the reason is that it cements Pulisic as AC Milan’s best player. It is rare to see a star deliver on outsized expectations, and he did just that against Napoli. Remember, talk before the game was whether or not and Pulisic’s surge of form was real and whether they could do it against the defending champions in Napoli. Well, they did. Pulisic’s assist on Milan’s opener was arguably his best and it set the stage for the rest of the match. As for the others in the top three: Pulisic’s goal against Real Madrid, which helped Chelsea reach the 2021 Champions League Final – which the Blues won – has to be up there. And then on the USMNT side, who could forget his hat-trick against Panama in Orlando that all but sealed the Americans trip to the 2022 World Cup?
Ryan Tolmich: Pretty high, particularly given the stakes. This was a true "prove-it" game for Milan, and it was one for Pulisic, too. He has looked like one of the best players in Serie A. You need to play well in the big games to do that. This wasn't the biggest game of his career, but it was the biggest game of this season so far, and he rose to the occasion.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesHas Pulisic reached world-class level?
TH: PLEASE CALM DOWN. Maybe he has. Maybe he hasn’t. Let’s just enjoy the streak and hope it continues for the USMNT.
AL: Not yet, but he’s knocking at the door. Pulisic has world-class attributes, but as we saw last season – a campaign in which he also got off to a hot start – he needs it to sustain. On a positive, it does seem as if he’s got a competent manager who is driving success at the club, and has full faith in him. That hasn’t happened previously during his time in Europe.
RT: Not quite yet, and it'll be hard for him to get there this season. Without Champions League soccer, Pulisic and Milan, realistically, have to win Serie A to ignite that conversation. Is that possible? Sur. But it's a little early. If Pulisic is still scoring for fun come, say, January, we can revisit the question.
AFPAre Milan serious Serie A title contenders?
TH: They’re certainly picking up results. You wouldn’t say they’re favorites, but if the streak continues, and everyone else drops points here and there, they could be in the picture. Ask again in March.
AL: Yes. The win over Napoli proved they can go blow for blow with arguably Serie A’s best. More importantly, while and Roma – another surprise contender – have Europe to contend with, Milan do not. The rest between fixtures should help Milan, and Pulisic.
RT: Right now, you have to say they are. It's been hard for any club to keep hold of the Scudetto, which shows both the parity and volatility of life at the top of Serie A. Milan have a good coach, some talented players and, at present, momentum. Teams such as Napoli, Inter and Atalanta are probably better but, hey, it could happen.
AFPHow many goal contributions will Pulisic have?
TH: This season, in the 25-30 range – and that will be just fine.
AL: If he stays healthy, this could be a 30-goal contribution season for him. The reality is he has to slow down at some point, but 30 goal contributions would put him firmly in the running for Serie A Player of the Year – which would be uncharted territory for a U.S. international.
RT: The baseline is about 20, given that's the number he hit in each of his first two Serie A runs. If he can hit 30, Milan will be in a very different place. That, obviously, will depend on fitness, form and, in some ways, luck. But Pulisic seemingly has it in him. More conservatively, put him in that 20-25 range to account for rougher moments.