Christian Pulisic ends a five-month drought with the USMNT’s biggest weight lifted

CHARLOTTE, NC – The weight Christian Pulisic carried for five months is now off his shoulders.

“He’s going to score at the World Cup,” USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino said last week when he announced his top scorer, and even though Sunday wasn’t a World Cup game, that meant well.

Pulisic, who hasn’t scored in a calendar year – and his last goal with the US men’s national team dates back to September 2024 – snapped his drought after 20 minutes in the USMNT’s 3-2 win over Senegal on Sunday.

His smooth finish past Mory Diaw marked the high point of what was a superb 45-minute performance for Pulisic before he was subbed off at halftime along with nine other USMNT starters.

“It felt good,” Pulisic said. “I felt this confidence, I played very well in the last months, but everyone seems to care about the goals. I hope now people can stop talking about it. Obviously, it’s a friendly game. We have big games and I have to be ready.”

Despite his pleas for a good performance, Pulisic not only failed to score, but was left out of Milan’s squad as the Rossonieri crashed out of the Champions League at the end of the season.

He was frustrated as recently as last weekend, when he came on as a substitute in the last match of the Serie A season.

On Sunday, however, Pulisic was his best version: decisive and flexible on the ball, always a threat on it.

“Christian’s performance in 45 minutes was really good,” said coach Mauricio Pochettino. “I think he still has the potential to improve but I think it’s the way he’s trained since Day 1. … The way he played 45 minutes was a routine he established last week. Every day he trains like this, with determination, with this intensity.”

From the opening moments of the game, when Gio Reyna couldn’t get in Pulisic’s cross in an open area, the USMNT’s No. 10 was controlling and controlling.

For a player who, for better or worse, likes to be out of control, this was a great sign that the World Cup will define the career ahead.

Senegal never looked like they had an answer for him.

Pulisic helped get the USMNT on the scoreboard within 10 minutes, setting up Sergiño Dest for the first goal of the afternoon, but what he needed — and what everyone around the USMNT wanted to see happen before the series unfolded — was his goal.

That came soon after.

“You can see that I feel good,” said Pulisic. “I was happy, I felt happy to get that one. I’m ready for a big summer coming up now.”