The USMNT has produced several strong players in recent years, with many going on to play for top clubs in Europe. Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams have performed well, but Christian Pulisic continues to dominate the headlines.
Commentator Says Christian Pulisic Sole USMNT Player in Top 150 Ranking
The AC Milan star has been the San Siro side’s best player this season and the main reason they remain in the Serie A title race. The USMNT standout has scored eight goals and added two assists in 16 league matches, and there have been discussions about him being the greatest United States soccer player ever.
Legendary commentator Glenn Crooks spoke with Ratings this week and made an interesting observation about the former Chelsea star. He claimed injuries have derailed Pulisic’s development multiple times, but he has still managed to push forward.
However, Crooks believes the main issue for Pulisic has been a lack of trust from coaches, saying he would have reached this level a couple of seasons ago if given enough opportunities. He said:
“You could almost say definitively that Pulisic is the best player at Milan right now. I think injuries have curtailed his progress, and you want to knock on every piece of wood that you have right now, because he’s been able to perform consistently now at Milan. We’d have seen this a couple of years ago if his coaches had given him more of an opportunity. He’s had to get physically stronger and put in a lot of fitness and strength work, he’s had to grow immensely, both as a player, as a leader, and in terms of understanding his role, knowing when to dribble, when to pass, and then finishing.”
Fabio Capello questioned Pulisic’s finishing earlier this week, but Crooks believes the USMNT star has developed significantly and is now one of the best finishers in the country and in Serie A. The former commentator added that credit should go to the AC Milan star’s mother for taking him to Europe at a young age and helping him develop. He added that Pulisic’s rise makes him the only USMNT player in the world’s top 150 and said:
“Look at the five best attacking players of all time, and all of them have street soccer in their blood. That’s how they got it all started, and that’s one thing we lack. We’re still far behind the other countries, but if you had to rate the top 150 players in the world, there would be just one American: Pulisic.”
Pulisic has been linked with a potential move to MLS after the FIFA World Cup.
