Christian Pulisic might be a perfect No.10! Winners & losers as USMNT star shines in pre-season draw with Barcelona
New manager Paulo Fonseca might have found the ideal role for ‘Captain America’ ahead of his second season at San Siro
Trust the American to show up in Baltimore, right? There were 51,000 fans inside M&T Bank Stadium on Tuesday as AC Milan took on Barcelona – and a good chunk were there to see what Christian Pulisic could do. The U.S. men’s national team star delivered in full, as he was at the center of everything good Milan did, showing immense promise after being deployed in a new position at No.10 as he carried the load in a 2-2 friendly draw.
Pulisic played his part in Milan’s 10th-minute opener, as he turned his man before playing an angled ball across the box which Luka Jovic turned in at the far post. Five minutes later, the American created Milan’s second all by himself, evading two defenders before firing into the top corner from a tight angle.
But Barca responded, as Robert Lewandowski curled an effort into the bottom corner from outside the box midway through the first half. The Pole added a second after the break, too, as he volleyed in from close-range off a delicate feed from pre-season breakout star Pau Victor.
Chances were otherwise relatively few. Pulisic was removed from the contest after an hour, and Milan rather simmered after that. Meanwhile, Barca couldn’t create much else – save for a Victor goal that was correctly ruled out for offside.
Still, in front of American fans, this game was about one singular virtuosic performance. Pulisic is an excellent footballer who has never quite pieced together a full season under the right manager. Even last campaign he went through dry spells. This is now his second go-around in Milan, and could be his first complete campaign as a No.10. Early signs suggest he is ready to take the next step to truly elite status.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from M&T Bank Stadium…
