Up until Monday morning, there were significant concerns about whether Christian Pulisic would participate in AC Milan’s Serie A match in Turin due to illness. However, he not only donned the Milan jersey but also came off the bench in the second half, scoring twice in just ten minutes to help the team secure a 3-2 comeback victory.
Pulisic entered the game in the 66th minute, netting the equalizer just a minute later, and then clinched the winning goal ten minutes afterward. With this performance, Milan has now extended their unbeaten streak in Serie A to 13 matches, overtaking Napoli on goal difference. The Pennsylvania native has achieved seven goals in nine league appearances and nine goals across 12 official matches.
Pulisic had missed last weekend’s home match against Lazio due to a minor foot injury but made a brief appearance in Thursday’s Coppa Italia rematch against Roma.
There were doubts about his ability to play on Monday due to fever and flu-like symptoms, but he was cleared to participate early that day and made an immediate impact.
He is now the third American player this century to score two goals as a substitute in Europe’s top five leagues (England, Germany, Spain, Italy, and France), following in the footsteps of Charlie Davies (Sochaux/France) in 2009 and Folarin Balogun (Monaco/France) last year.
For his opening goal, Pulisic connected with a cross from Alexis Saelemaekers, curling a left-footed shot into the far corner from eight yards out.
Ten minutes later, Samuele Ricci sent a cross from the right, and Pulisic found space in the penalty area to score again with a left-footed shot from ten yards into the right corner.
In the league, he has outscored Rafael Leao for Milan by two goals and is tied with three other players with two assists.
Pulisic, now in his third season in Italy after leaving Chelsea, has tallied 30 goals in 79 league matches and 41 goals in 112 overall appearances.
His impressive form this season with Milan bodes well for the U.S. national team, which will gather for friendlies against Belgium and Portugal in late March—these matches will be crucial ahead of the World Cup squad selection in May.
Due to injury, Pulisic only saw 48 minutes of action in two friendlies during last October’s international break and missed last month’s match to focus on his fitness.
Fan Take: This news highlights Pulisic’s resilience and potential as a game-changer, which is vital for both AC Milan and the U.S. national team. As fans, witnessing his evolution and impact on the field not only boosts hopes for future competitions but also elevates the profile of American soccer on a global stage.
