The U.S. national team is preparing to face Cuba tomorrow night, and then Canada on Tuesday, in CONCACAF Nations League action. They’ll do so with the face of their franchise/best player, Christian Pulisic, struggling massively right now in his club career.
Pulisic has said all the right things, vowing to fight for his right to play at Chelsea FC. but it’s quite clear that Blues boss Frank Lampard would not have brought Pulisic over if given the chance, (Pulisic was signed by his predecessor Maurizio Sarri) and he’s made it known that the American is lower down on the selection pecking order.
It’s a really tough situation for Pulisic, who has only played twice since August, once in the EFL Cup, the other a ten minute appearance at the end of a Premier League blowout.
However, the 21-year-old insists that all the time on the bench is not affecting his game.
“I feel the best I ever have. I feel very confident in my game. I’m not going to let any of that affect me,” Christian Pulisic said to reporters in the mixed zone yesterday.
“I feel very strong, and I’m really looking forward to this game Friday.”
He maintains that he’ll leave the troubles he’s having on the club level behind, and instead focus on performing for country.
“I’m here now to be focused with the U.S. national team, so that’s really all that’s on my mind right now,” Christian Pulisic added.
Pulisic’s coach, Gregg Berhalter understands what his star player is going though, and he publicly went to bat for him. He maintains a positive outlook, highlighting the adjustment period that every player who switches leagues and countries goes through.
“He’s at Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world, and there’s a different level of pressure on him,” Berhalter told the media.
“In terms of adapting from the style of play from one country to another, what I’d say is you just have to get used to it. You have to take in information. You have to start understanding what makes the style of play effective in that country, and try to integrate as fast as possible.”
“We want Christian playing a big part of what we do. He’s a player that we believe in, and we’re patient. We know things take time, and we know sometimes adapting to different leagues takes time as well.”
Christian Pulisic and Chelsea will be back in action after the international break. They’ll host Newcastle United on October 19.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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