Christian Pulisic, captain of the US men’s national team, was back on the scoresheet for AC Milan on Sunday, scoring the equalizer in a dramatic Serie A match against Fiorentina.
Pulisic’s equalizer was important and impressive in equal measure, the result of solid build-up play from Milan. Theo Hernandez eventually received the ball on the left flank and sent a beautiful cross towards the far post, where Pulisic was running. He raised his right foot and needed just one touch to score from an angle and level the score in the 60th minute.
Look below.
It was a much-needed equalizer for Milan, who survived an early moment of trouble when Mike Maignan saved Moise Kean’s penalty. They eventually went down in the 35th minute thanks to a goal from Yacine Adli, but missed two crucial chances to get back into the match. Fiorentina goalkeeper David de Gea saved Hernandez’s penalty in first-half stoppage time, before De Gea scored a second save in the 58th minute when Milan’s Tammy Abraham stepped up to take a penalty himself.
However, the joy of Pulisic’s equalizer was short-lived as Fiorentina’s Albert Gudmundsson scored to give his side a 2-1 lead in the 73rd minute.
The result continued a dismal start to the season for Milan. While there have been some highlights, such as their 2-1 win over Inter in the Derby della Madonnina, more often than not they have remained winless. They currently sit sixth in Serie A, five points behind first place, and have lost the first two games of their UEFA Champions League campaign.
However, Pulisic was a lone bright spot in Milan’s first season under manager Paulo Fonseca. He now has six goals and two assists in nine games in all competitions, including the win over Inter and the opening match of the season in the Champions League against Liverpool. He scored in four consecutive games for Milan, becoming the first USMNT player to do so in a top five European competition since Roy Wegerle of Queens Park Rangers in 1990. per Opta.
The USMNT captain will be one of the most in-form players during this month’s international break, the national team’s first under new head coach Mauricio Pochetitno. The USMNT will play two friendlies this month: one on Saturday against Panama in Austin, Texas and the other against Mexico in Guadalajara on October 15.