I’m glad Pulisic isn’t playing a ton, maybe he’ll make it to the WC healthy. And the size of the chip already on his shoulder will double in size.
Players for the second half of the day: Pulisic played 6 minutes (plus another 7 minutes of stoppage time) in a 2-2 draw for Chelsea. Cannon played 90 minutes in a 2-1 win for Boavista. Wright played 75 minutes and scored the winning goal in a 1-0 win for Antalyaspor. Musah played 90 minutes in a 1-0 win for Valencia. McKenzie played 90 minutes in a 4-1 win for Genk - his first start of the season.
Good save, but it’s still pretty much guaranteed he would cost us a goal because a dumb mistake if he starts in the World Cup.
Musah 🇺🇸 USMNT international Yunus Musah with Valencia today ☑️ 90 min🚀 2 shots🔑 1 key pass 🔀 100% dribbles won ❌ dispossessed 0 times⚔️ 5 duels won💪 4 ball recoveries🔥 2 tackles (match highest)✅ 7.2 rating on fotmobLooking to establish a permanent starting role. pic.twitter.com/DHXPzA7FQ6— Takes 🇺🇸 (@USMNTTAKES) August 14, 2022
The health thought is a good one but I think Pulisic not playing is not good. 1. We don't need him to double the size of the chip on his shoulder. That's exXtly when he tries to do too much. Takes it on himself to make something happen instead of remembering his role in the team. Saw this all the time in qualifying. When he played a team game he was at his best. 2. Train all you want but it is not and never will be the same as getting match minutes. At least they have UCL coming up so he's likely to get more minutes than he's gotten thus far in EPL play.
I think we may fundamentally disagree on point number one. I think his role on the team is to take it on himself to make something happen. All the neutralizing and pawn swapping inherent in Berhalter ball is counting on it. Now, he needs to be closer to goal in general to be effective this way, he often wants to drift back and those aren't the runs he should be making. Pulisic will combine with players and make all the runs, generally speaking. But he must also take those chances where he'll dribble into something and lose the ball, because he's good enough to win that battle and it's a goal. But again, not up near midfield, that's not helping.
So long as a double-sized chip on his shoulder doesn't convince him to revert to the hero ball he played early in qualifying this cycle, I'm totally ok with him getting minutes off the bench for Chelsea.
People should erase the old Pulisic from their minds and just look at how he is playing currently. He is a much matured player. That is why he should not take a step down to some other club for minutes. He will get his chances at Chelsea.
#NUFC are planning a move for Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic. [Via The Athletic]— NUFC360 (@NUFC360) August 15, 2022
Tuchel teams are where attackers go to die. Anybody notice that Lukaku and Werner scored this past weekend? Anybody notice how well Tammy Abraham is doing at Roma? Those are just the #9s. Every year they go out and buy more wingers. They'll keep doing it. They had Pulisic, Havertz, Ziyech, Hudson-Odoi, and others. What did they do? Buy Sterling for a gazillion dollars. Why? Because they can. Its like they don't ask themselves: How is it that we could possibly have failed with Mo Salah and Kevin DeBruyne. Its this same nonsense. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about this. Pulisic has to get out. Should have demanded a transfer after last season. Anybody remember his father's tweet? Christian seems to love this club and wants to succeed there. The manager doesn't favor him, though. Why not? Nobody seems to know. Its like people don't remember that Tuchel did the same thing to Pulisic at Dortmund.
My concern with Chelsea and Pulisic is two fold since its clear Tuchel doesn't rate him. 1. How many minutes will he even get even with UCL coming up next month? He's had all of 31 minutes in Chelsea's first two EPL matches and they are trying to add another attacker. 2. How much attention is he getting in training? If a manager doesn't rate you then its hard to imagine you getting much solid attention in training either. The only thing somewhat beneficial for us could be that he's potentially fresher. But on the flip side I worry more that he'd be frustrated and not at his best. I am all for him moving on.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Kylian Mbappe, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and quite a few others would beg to differ. I'm not exactly sure what Tuchel "did" to Pulisic other than play him 43 times as a 17/18 year old in his final season in charge at Dortmund
In case we didn't post it, former USYNTer Charlie Kelman's goal for Leyton Orient: 🧐🇺🇸 Charlie Kelman's goal⚽️https://t.co/F8NL64hQq5— 🇺🇸 ⚽ east (@eastdeflection) August 15, 2022
McKennie starting in Juve's opener 📝 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 #𝗝𝘂𝘃𝗲𝗦𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗼𝗹𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 ⚪⚫💪 @EASPORTSFIFA#ForzaJuve pic.twitter.com/XjQqeCUhxn— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) August 15, 2022
Rangers rested James Sands, Tom Lawrence, Glen Kamara, Alfredo Morelos, Steven Davis, Scott Arfield and Ryan Kent on Saturday, ahead of the game against PSV.
Johnny Cardoso USMNT international Johnny Cardoso earns team of the week honors in Brazil 🔥 pic.twitter.com/qP4NzdJMX6— Takes 🇺🇸 (@USMNTTAKES) August 15, 2022 🚨 20 year old USMNT international Johnny Cardoso with Internacional today☑️ 84 min ⚽️ 1 assist🔑 4 tackles (match highest)🔀 2 chances created ⚔️ 10 duels won (match highest) 💪 3 ball recoveries❌ 0 times dispossessed✅ 8.3 FotMob ratingStrong performance in Brazil. pic.twitter.com/6OibnsPg8B— Takes 🇺🇸 (@USMNTTAKES) August 14, 2022 +1 assistência pic.twitter.com/wtNwIdOZrb— JOHNNY CARDOSO BR 🇧🇷🇺🇲 (@johnnycentralBR) August 14, 2022 1558955852597534721 is not a valid tweet id
1. Erik Palmer-Brown 3. L. Messi It's only 2 matches into the Ligue 1 season so it definitely won't stay this way but...what in the world?!? pic.twitter.com/GHpcMfVk4r— Daniel (@DanielSmith1022) August 15, 2022