Christian Pulisic has a lot of pressure on his shoulders, especially with the FIFA World Cup in the United States this summer. He is currently experiencing a slump, and a USMNT legend spoke about his struggles and questioned how he could overcome them.
USMNT Great Voices Concern Over Christian Pulisic’s Struggles
Pulisic started the season in fine form for AC Milan, but injuries have slowed him down. He has still managed eight league goals, but Landon Donovan questioned whether the USMNT star can overcome the rough patch.
Tim Howard, Donovan’s co-host on the “Unfiltered Soccer” podcast and a former goalkeeper, was quick to dismiss the concern. He said only global superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi avoid purple patches, and that it is normal for any star to experience a dip in form.
He added that the only focus should be on training well and giving it his all on the pitch, as form can change at any time. He said:
“He’s going through a purple patch. Like, the only people who don’t go through purple patches are named Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi, right? Like they score 50 goals every season for 15 years. Everybody goes through this. I’m worried about is, is he training well? Is he playing and performing well? Like, his numbers were brilliant for Milan.
“So if he’s going to have a dip, yeah, sure, whatever. I don’t worry about that, because I also know we also can get lulled into this false sense of security if he still has time to regain that form before the World Cup. But you understand, he could be in blistering form coming out of the season and then lay an egg in the World Cup.”
Howard believes nothing in the club season will prevent Pulisic from performing well at the FIFA World Cup. He added that the USMNT star has a target on his back ahead of the home tournament but backed the American to deliver in front of the fans, saying he will have a point to prove on the pitch as the best player in the squad.
Here’s a clip of their discussion.
Donovan agreed but added that he has PTSD about Pulisic getting injured ahead of the tournament and hopes that the former Chelsea man is fit to play this summer.
