GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including Pulisic's third goal in four Milan matches
Never get bored of Christian Pulisic being good at football. Sure, there was all of the furor around his will-they-won't-they relationship with the USMNT last summer. But now, that seems to be behind everyone. Pulisic did his part of the national team in September, and has been in fine form for Milan.
There were a couple of concerns after he came off the bench for a duo of fixtures. But that appeared to be little more than casual rotation as Pulisic went from the go Saturday. And he was magnificent throughout. The American took total control for Milan, scoring two and assisting a third as the managed a 3-0 win over Udinese.
Elsewhere, there were impressive performances. Malik Tillman bagged for Bayer Leverkusen, who are still finding their feet in the post Erik Ten Hag instability. Brendan Aaronson, too, looked more promising for Leeds.
The rest were a rather mixed bag. Josh Sargent struggled against Wrexham, as did Haji Wright against Leicester. Weston McKennie never made it off the bench for Juventus, and Antonee Robinson was left out of Fulham's matchday squad – heightening concerns after he underwent knee surgery in May.
GOAL looks at the major takeaways from this weekend's Americans Abroad.
Getty ImagesPulisic is who you think he is
Pulisic tried his best to be team-first in the opening 30 minutes of AC Milan's match at Udinese. He put a would-be assist on a plate for Mexico international Santi Gimenez, only to see the striker fluff his lines in front of goal. Late in the first half, the American took over. He pounced on a rebound to give the Rossoneri a 1-0 lead.
In the second half, Pulisic seized the game. The recipient of some nasty fouls in the first half, the 27-year-old responded with some physicality of his own. He bodied a Udinese defender in a duel in the box and found a wide-open Youssouf Fofana for a goal. Then five minutes later, Pulisic put the game on ice by taking advantage of a perfect touch in the box to score past Răzvan Sava at the near post.
Pulisic's brace puts him on three goals in the season, and he topped the Serie A golden boot race through Saturday's games. Expecting him to stay at the summit is perhaps unrealistic. He's not going to shoot 83 percent on target all season. But the winger is finding a strong fit as a striker in Max Allegri's 3-5-2 system.
“Scoring goals constantly, look at him," CBS Sports analyst Mike Grella said after Saturday's match. "Just gets his job done, hard worker. That sends a shockwave through the entire team… And the fact that Pulisic is setting that standard for AC Milan tells you where American football is going."
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTillman redeems himself
Tillman received his fair share of criticism after Leverkusen's midweek 2-2 draw with FC Copenhagen. The American wasn't solely at fault for the Bundesliga giants' performance in the Champions League, but he certainly didn't help. He was hooked after just 51 minutes, and could have few complaints.
That said, his redemption performance came in style Sunday. The U.S. midfielder was the player with the most attacking ideas for a curiously defensive set up Leverkusen. And he was rewarded for his forward intent with a goal.
It was perhaps a slightly fortunate thing, a loose ball falling kindly to his right foot off an attacking miscue. He likely won't complain. Yet it wasn't enough on the day. Leverkusen lost focus late, and conceded a fairly dire late goal to struggling Borussia Monchengladbach, who scraped a stoppage time equalizer to see the spoils shared.
Tillman, after collecting the Man of the Match award, couldn't be blamed for that one whatsoever. Fellow USMNT midfielder Gio Reyna came off the bench for Gladbach, but was largely ineffective.
Getty Images SportAaronson finding his feet in Premier League
Listen to pundits and Leeds' fervent fanbase and you'd believe Brenden Aaronson has no business getting Premier League minutes. And when the American got a brief cameo in season-opening win over Everton, his limited action appeared to confirm those sentiments.
Yet, five games into the season, the newly-promoted side is turning heads as they sit 11th with seven points. And more impressively, at least for USMNT fans, is that Aaronson is playing a role in that success.
Part of that has come as a result of a role change for the 24-year-old. Aaronson has spent the majority of his career as an attacking or central midfielder, by manager Daniel Farke shifted him to a winger role this season. Aaronson has previously come under criticism for being just a runner during his time at Leeds, something he acknowledged to GOAL frustrated him at times.
"It's definitely upsetting," Aaronson said last fall, "because I think, in moments, I show a lot of quality with the ball. I don't think a lot of people see that. People see my energy and that type of thing, and that's easy to see. You'll always see me giving 100 percent. That's something that I've always had."
Yet, in the wing, being a runner while keeping his well-regarded work rate in the flank has given his team a valuable option on both attack and defense. He's not going to be confused as Vini Jr. anytime soon, but his willingness to do the little things, as he did against Wolves, opens up opportunities for Dominic Calvert-Lewis and Noah Okafor on the frontline.
On Saturday, Aaronson made 92 percent of his passes, connected on a cross, and made two key clearances in a 3-1 win. His versatility is proving to be an asset for Leeds.
Getty Images SportConcern for Robinson and McKennie?
Antonee Robinson was a surprise omission from Fulham’s squad in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Brentford, despite not appearing on the club’s injury report. Earlier in the season, his absence was attributed to working back from the injury that kept him out of the Gold Cup. But this time it appeared to be a healthy scratch.
The reigning U.S. Soccer men's player of the Year has logged just 53 minutes in two appearances, raising questions for both club and country. Robinson, when fit, is one of the world's stronger left backs, and his role is critical for the U.S. heading into the World Cup.
It’s unclear whether fitness concerns, transfer speculation – he was linked to Manchester United and Liverpool last year – or the emergence of Ryan Sessegnon at left back are influencing his lack of minutes.
Meanwhile, Weston McKennie remained on the bench in Juventus’ 1-1 draw with Verona. Now in his fifth season, the midfielder has yet to secure a consistent starting role, though he has made 118 appearances for the club.
With one year left on his contract, McKennie’s USMNT future could again hinge on whether he can carve out a more regular role.
