It was like playing in the NFL.
Christian Pulisic struggled with blocker and former teammate Yassin Adli before running an inside-to-out route. He slotted Theo Hernandez's looping ball into the far post, pounced on it in the style of AC Milan great Marco van Basten, and fired a stunning volley across goal.
It was from an acute angle. With both feet off the ground, Pulisic somehow managed to beat David de Gea's goalkeeper, who seemed invincible in Florence.
يا عيني على الفخامة يا بوليسيتش 🔥#Affiliate pic.twitter.com/XEk5vjwnLb
— Serie A (@SerieA_AR) October 7, 2024
The goal should have been the main story. However, Milan lost to Fiorentina 2-1. It was their second consecutive loss in all competitions.
The normally unfazed Paulo Fonseca did not want to talk about refereeing Artemio Franchi. At least not specifically. “I love this game and I don't want to contribute to this circus,” Milan's head coach said. The referee pointed to a spot favorable to Fiorentina and awarded Milan two penalties. Pulisic could have ended the night with a hat-trick as Milan's designated player.
But he accepted neither. Milan captain Theo Hernández came on for the first time and hoped to make it 1-1 by half-time. It was his birthday, and had he scored, he would have become Milan's highest-scoring defender. De Gea stopped him.
Fikayo Tomori then caught the ball and passed it to his good friend Tammy Abraham to try the next ball. This was not surprising at all. Back in September, Milan were also awarded several penalties against Venice. Pulisic scored the first goal and then allowed Abraham to score the second. The English player had just joined on loan from Roma and his team-mates were keen to see him in action. Unlike in Florence, where Milan were still looking for an equalizer, they had won 3-0 at the San Siro against an undefeated promoted team.
Abraham opened an account with Venice. However, De Gea stopped him from adding it at the weekend.
Moments later, Pulisic's volley put Milan level, but Fiorentina went on to win and Fonseca was disappointed that his players ignored his team's orders. “Obviously, I've been telling the players that something like this will never happen again. The player who should be taking them is Christian. And I'm angry about that.”
As a result, Farago's penalty and Hernandez's late red card dominated the headlines, but a different result could have taken over Pulisic. He will not forget his goals in a hurry. Technically it was his best score since moving to Italy a year ago, but his debut goal for Bologna, against Frosinone, saw him knock down Mike Maignan's goal-kick with a Velcro-like first touch. Or maybe his goal kicks will become a hot topic. Far corner curler against Monza and Lecce.
Pulisic's most important goal was undoubtedly last month's Derby della Madonnina, when he became the first American to score, ending a six-game losing streak against Inter as Milan won against their rivals for the first time in two years. It belonged to
Pulisic celebrates his goal against Inter (Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images)
This means that Pulisic, who returned home for Mauricio Pochettino's first game in charge of the USMNT, is perhaps the best Pulisic of all time.
The 26-year-old said this ahead of Saturday's game against Panama and Tuesday's game against Mexico. There are moments in your career when you feel like everything you touch goes in, and there are times when you feel like you try everything and the ball just doesn't go in. As offensive players, we've come this far. All have experienced it. So I'm just trying to live in the moment and keep going when things seem to be going well. It's the result of all the hard work I've put in in my life. So it's not surprising. I know I have the ability and I think I'll just climb that high. ”
The USMNT's new coach is also pleased, calling Pulisic “a great, great player, great player, and someone who will help us get this team to where we want to be now and in the future.” He is one of the best offensive players in the world. ”
However, there were also concerns that Pulisic would push himself too hard. “He's playing every game, every moment. I think that's something we're a little worried about sometimes having to guard (him). Let's see. He's playing a little bit. Because he arrived tired. But that's what I said before (to you) is to have a very good relationship with the club and try to help and when we really need him. , he must be happy and strong.”
During Pulisic's time in the league, no player in Serie A has contributed more goals (21 + 12 assists). Not Juvica Kvaratsjería, not Lautaro Martínez, not teammate Rafael Leao.
Those who doubted his durability should consider the fact that he started 44 games for Milan last season and played over 4,000 minutes for club and country. Initially signed as a number 10 who could cover the wing position if required, he moved Samuel Chukwueze away from the wing when manager Stefano Pioli opted to play on the right wing instead.
Pulisic is in great form (Katie Stratman-Imagn Images)
He has the potential to be Milan's overall player of the season this season. Theo and Leo remain the most talented. However, both can be hot or cold. Meanwhile, Pulisic continues to deliver results. He became the first player in Europe's top five leagues to score in four consecutive league games, but his level of consistency was partially overshadowed by Milan's rocky start to the season.
Yunus Moussa, his teammate at club and country, says this is exactly what Pulisic is capable of. “It's not surprising,” he said Friday. He is currently our best attacking player and I hope he remains this way.”
🥁🥁 September's MVP is… 🥁🥁
take a bow, @purisik! 👏@emirates #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/VJ0YV8wdc6
— AC Milan (@acmilan) October 4, 2024
Admittedly, not all goal-scoring performances were perfect performances. Pulisic scored in the loss to Parma, but like the rest of the team, he was out of form. However, against Inter, he played like he was possessed. Pulisic repeatedly attacked the opposition defense, stole the ball from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and scored a goal, silencing his team's critics, before infuriating Alessandro Bastoni and forcing the Italy international to the ground.
“With Christian participating in our play, we will be more effective,” Fonseca explained to DAZN. It happened for various reasons.
On the other hand, he is growing and getting to know the league and his teammates better. Meanwhile, Milan's new coaching staff made slight adjustments to his position. In the defeat to Liverpool, Fonseca tried a different system. When not in possession, Milan played a 4-2-4 with a very narrow front line. That meant that if he won the ball back high up the pitch, as he did against Inter a few days later, Pulisic would be more central, closer to goal and more dangerous.
“He doesn't just play inside,” Fonseca elaborated. “There are times when he goes wide too, which allows him to be closer to goal, closer to shots and assists. He knows how to play between the lines and that's important for me. He also scores goals like a number 9.”
If only he had been penalized more. Milan could have achieved even more with better support from the full-backs than Emerson Royal. But the €20m (£16.7m, $21.9m) paid for Pulisic a year ago appears to be increasing in value with each game.
The move worked out well for them, for him, and for the USMNT as the World Cup approached.
(Additional contributor: Paul Tenorio)
(Top image: Photo Agency/Getty Images)
