They aren't playing a 3-4-3 with him as a wing forward. They're playing a 3-4-2-1 with Pulisic tucked centrally, quite different than when he's been deployed as an out and out winger or RWB. He has more freedom now to either go wide or play inside.
It's amazing that Dortmund continue to rate Pulisic higher than USMNT fans. The obviously trust him to play a dynamic role in their attack wherever that may be. IMO, we'd be well served to do the same in the Hex.
Well, Dortmund don't have a Feilhaber or Klejstan waiting in the wings. So they really can't appreciate what proven, experienced, true central atracking players should play like.
Playing in the Bundesliga is a very different animal than playing in CONCACAF. That the guy is ace is one does not mean he's going to be ace in the other. He still needs to find his "CONCACAF mode" for when he's on NT duty.
Usually agree with your posts but not this one. There is no "CONCACAF" mode for a dude currently in the preferred 11 at a CL quarter finalist club. There is simply "skip around this dude because I'm better at soccer" mode. He got slaughtered today by bigger and nastier brutes then he'll face in the Hex. He's fine. He's a big boy and he's very quick and skilled. They can't break him if they can't catch him. Unleash him.
Let me be blunt: we'll be playing Honduras with Guatemalan refs. He's 18. I know, I shouldn't, but I am.
You're desperately trying to be the voice of reason, but instead you've achieved the exact opposite. lulz I already refuted your simplistic way of thinking. They have just tried Pulisic as a central player. He didn't make his mark at Dortmund overall as a CAM rather a wide player, he's been erratic centrally with more bad than good at this point, and he's on the field all the same as a winger while actually maximizing his current strengths.
USMNT discussion is in a different thread. I am not getting sucked into that here. The analysis you offer for his BVB performances is simply wrong. For starters what got him a look at BVB was his domination at their youth level, not his "wing" play. He played wide attacker because that got him on the field. In a development minded team like BVB they kind of like to find "ways" of getting promising young talent on the field and a wide attacker accomplished that. Some of his poorer performances have been as a wingback for BVB, not centrally as you suggest. His performance today was not "brutal" as you say, his touches were limited because the midfield was missing Julien Weigl, possibly one of the most underrated midfielders in the world. Wiegl is at worst co-MVP with Burki. I think the absence of Weigl messes up the positioning for the rest of the attackers. He was not especially sharp today, but he did not have a lot of touches. He did a get an effort on frame. He was wide open, and not seen a couple of times. He was indecisive once at the top of the box and got muscled off the ball a couple of times and that was about it. It is worth noting that all of BVB's midfield got muscled off the ball more than once. I could be reading it wrong I suppose, but mostly I have been reading what Dortmund is doing with him, and it is clear to me that they do not share your opinion. It could be they don't have underlying National team motives shaping their opinions.
agreed. some players will give 80-100% for their club week in/week out and then give less than 50% for the NT. Some of course come down to being played out of position, playing with inferior players compared to their club, fatigue from travel or perhaps just apathy.
Once again I think the whole #10 argument is overstated. All you need to do with Pulisic is to start him, make sure he is high up the pitch but; not as a striker and make sure his teammates get him the ball. You can play the main playmaker out wide see David Silva, Christian Eriksen, Juan Mata, etc.
Honduras and Panama aren't Guatemala and El Salvador. Go back and watch the last two U-20 games. There were 5 fouls that would have gotten red cards in Europe and I don't think all of them even resulted in yellows. Adjusting to the level of violence allowed and the arbitrary decisions (that somehow usually seem to benefit the home team) is a mental challenge. Generally the refs are fair enough for US home games but things get weird away.
The radio call from the CL goal: https://soundcloud.com/borussiadortmund/achtelfinale-ruckspiel-bvb-sl-benfica-20-pulisic
I would have given them more of the ball, much more and let team speed on the counter win a 2 goal lead then close up shop and save the players. Ingo is a very physical and disciplined team, I agree and they expect Dortmund to attack...exactly why I wouldn't.
It's mid-march and Bayern only have 13 (come on, we know they'll win tomorrow) points advantage over the #2. They're letting up a bit.
Dortmund have a busy April Away against Schalke for the Revierderby Home vs Hamburg Away vs Bayern Home vs Monaco (CL) Home vs Frankfurt Away vs Monaco (CL) Away vs Monchengladbach Away vs Bayerns (Pokal) Home vs Cologne
http://www.goal.com/en/news/8/main/...-the-world/03-nxgn-christian-pulisic/49#photo #3 on goal.com's best u19 list
He still didn't play in a 3-4-3 lol he actually played as a second striker in the Benfica game, almost in a 3-1-4-2, that morphed into a 3-4-2-1. Come on man, you're not fooling anyone.