Source: TheGuardian
Is Christian Pulisic the first part of a US European invasion? Not so fast …
The new Chelsea player is the latest of a number of Americans making moves to big European clubs. But the US youth system remains fractured and fractiousOf all the tales told of the USA’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, the most haunting depicts Christian Pulisic, after the fateful draw away to Trinidad & Tobago, in the showers “fully clothed, with his hands in his face just crying,” as Dax McCarty described it. Only Pulisic knows what was going through his mind in that moment, but on some level he, as his country’s best player, surely felt a level of responsibility for American soccer’s biggest, most humiliating failure in a generation.Of course, Pulisic is one of the few US players who warrant a free pass for what happened in World Cup qualification. Not to go over old ground, but he was a leader, the kind Bruce Arena’s side could have used more of. Still, Pulisic’s tears in the showers were revealing. They painted the picture of a figure burdened by expectation and the pressure that comes with being American soccer’s first male superstar. Related: Zack Steffen is unlikely to ever play for Man City. So why did he join them? Related: Tyler Adams becomes latest member of USA's German finishing school Continue reading......read full article
