Christian Pulisic hasn’t had too much to celebrate this season. But this weekend was a very good one for the U.S. men’s national team star.
Pulisic, 20, scored a stunning solo goal for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga as he continues to return to form, and his new team, Chelsea, qualified for the UEFA Champions League next season.
Yes, it would have been even better had Dortmund not coughed up a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at Werder Bremen and leave their Bundesliga title hopes in ruins, but this weekend was better than most for him in recent times.
The Pennsylvania native has struggled with injuries throughout the 2018-19 campaign and with the emergence of Jadon Sancho, he’s found himself on the outside looking in at Dortmund with just three league goals to his name this season. He now has three goals and an assist in his last seven outings for club and country and his form is returning.
But with Chelsea buying him in January for $73 million, then loaning him back to Dortmund, there is plenty for Pulisic to look forward to in the coming 12 months.
He will get to showcase his talents in the Premier League from August and with Eden Hazard looking likely to leave Chelsea, he will become a pivotal figure in the Blues’ squad, as Maurizio Sarri will rotate his players with UCL and Premier League games coming thick and fast.
Throughout 2018 Pulisic battled with frustration that the USMNT did not have a permanent coach after their failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, but now that is all sorted out, he’s set up for a big summer with the Gold Cup and then a move to Chelsea.
After getting through the toughest few months of his career to date, the good times are starting to roll around for Pulisic again. Sometimes you need these dips in form and fortune in your career to keep you on an upward trajectory overall.
Let’s see if the U.S. playmaker can kick on now he’s fully fit and his future is looking a little more certain. His quality is undoubted, and now comes a huge challenge to establish himself at Chelsea in the Premier League.
