American star Christian Pulisic rounding into form in Italy
It's been a long time coming, but Christian Pulisic is finally settling into a rhythm in Europe.
The American striker, long hailed as the future of the U.S. Men's National Team, struggled to find fitness and playing time during his four-year stint with Chelsea FC in England. But after moving to Italy to join AC Milan last summer, Pulisic has found his form once again – and he's getting noticed.
Pulisic was named Player of the Month in Italy for December after scoring two goals and providing two assists during the festive period. He beat out AS Roma's Romelu Lukaku, Inter Milan's Marcus Thuram and Juventus's Federico Gatti for the honor.
Pulisic has been a bright spot for Milan during an up-and-down season for the club. His link-up play with French striker Olivier Giroud has revitalized the team's front line and delivered several crucial wins for the Rossoneri.
For Pulisic, joining Milan was a "no-brainer."
"I'm very emotional," he told the media upon joining the squad. "Coming to another big club like this, it's such a big step in my career. And I have a great opportunity to do great things. It's a great feeling, one that I have never really had in my professional career."
But it's not just Pulisic carrying the flag for the USMNT in Italy. Midfielder Yunus Musah joined AC Milan around the same time Pulisic did and has been similarly impressive during his debut Italian season.
"Two players of real quality," Milan defender Simon Kjaer said of Pulisic and Musah. "They bring a good spirit to the team, in the dressing room and on the pitch."
AC Milan was recently acquired by RedBird Capital, an American investment firm run by Gerry Cardinale – other sports investments in Cardinale's portfolio include F1's Alpine and the Fenway Sports Group. Milan's American stars could help the firm sell Italian soccer to fans in the U.S. who are hungry for something different than England's Premier League.
But the form of Pulisic and Musah doesn't just spell good things for Italian soccer's growth in America – it also means good things for the USMNT. With a home Copa America looming this summer and a home World Cup on the horizon in 2026, the USMNT needs its stars in top form and Pulisic and Musah have never looked better than they do at Milan.
Pulisic, Musah and Milan will continue their domestic season Sunday at home against AS Roma.
More must-reads: