For the first time in his career, Christian Pulisic has missed a penalty.
The AC Milan star saw a first-half penalty well saved by Torino goalkeeper Vanja Milinković-Savić on Saturday, as the American forward failed to draw his side level at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.
Pulisic had previously converted 12 of 12 penalties in his career, including three this season..
But after Torino had taken the lead in Saturday’s Serie A match through a Malick Thiaw own goal, Milan was given a chance to equalize from the spot in the 32nd minute.
Pulisic fired hard and low to the left, but Milinković-Savić got down quickly to his right to thwart the American star.
The miss was another difficult moment in a trying week for Pulisic. The U.S. men’s national team star saw his side dumped out of the Champions League by Feyenoord in midweek, then was forced to release a blistering statement denying media reports of a feud with his manager Sérgio Conceição.
Pulisic has been Milan’s designated penalty-taker since midway through last season. That position was tested earlier this season in a contentious 2-1 loss against Fiorentina.
Both Theo Hernández and Tammy Abraham saw penalties saved in that match, with then-manager Paulo Fonseca angrily insisting Pulisic should have taken both spot kicks.
“Of course I am upset” the coach said. “Christian should take penalties. It must never happen again, and I told the players.”
