On Friday I headed to the Globe Pub, a fantastic soccer bar in Chicago's Irving Park, to watch the US men's national team play Honduras in a critical World Cup qualifying match. Having lost the first two games of qualifying in rather embarrassing fashion — a 2-1 home loss to Mexico and a 4-0 road loss to Costa Rica — the US entered the home match at the bottom of the CONCACAF table.
The US needed a win. It got it and then some in a 6-0 victory that erased a -5 goal differential and completely shifted the talk around the team in Bruce Arena's first important match as coach, taking over for Jurgen Klinsman who was sacked.
The result was huge. But there was a far more important takeaway for me in watching that match.
Christian Pulisic, the 18-year old from Hershey, Pennsylvania, is a star and is already the team's best player.
Arena slotted Pulisic in the attacking midfield position that Landon Donovan once occupied. Those are big shoes to fill because Donovan is arguably the greatest national team player ever. Pulisic, however, plays a prominent role for Borussia Dortmund and is doing quite well in the Bundesliga in front of 80,000 rabid soccer fans. So it should've come as no surprise that the phenom wasn't fazed in taking the reigns Friday against Honduras.
Having watched US soccer for years, it was impossible not to notice the difference in play against Honduras. I've never watched a performance quite like that and it had everything to do with Pulisic's presence.
Pulisic's technical ability combined with is athleticism and innate instincts make him unlike any player I've seen put on the red white and blue uniform. He has the ability to beat guys one v one. He is a pinpoint passer who sees the field exceptionally well. And, most importantly, he is a supremely gifted player when it comes to seeing plays develop and timing his runs.
When you combine him with Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore, a pair of talented goal scorers and good players in their own right, it allows for a formidable attack. Dempsey and Altidore reaped the benefits of having Pulisic beneath them. Pulisic drew so much attention from the Honduras side that Dempsey and Altidore found the type of space they just aren't accustomed to and they both did well with it. Altidore delivered a pair of beautiful passes that setup two goals, one of which Pulisic finished barely 30 seconds into the second half as a result of yet another gorgeous instinctual run.
Pulisic's two assists, both to Dempsey, were a thing of beauty as well. The first was a lovely chip that found Dempsey perfectly on his chest on a run into the box, which Dempsey put away. The second was a pass, quite frankly, that made me spill my beer. Pulisic saw the run before Dempsey even did and slotted a perfect ball — perfect in both space and in pace — through the Honduras defense as Dempsey realized the run mid pass and he finished his one v one versus the goalkeeper.
The hype around Pulisic has been building the past year. He's been very good and an impact player for one of the top clubs in Europe at just 18. This isn't a Freddy Adu situation. Pulisic isn't the future. He's the present and the future. He's already the team's best player and provides a dynamic up front that US soccer has never had.
Enjoy the ride.
No comments:
Post a Comment