Christian Pulisic’s Quality Night in Columbus: ‘I Love This Team’

COLUMBUS, Ohio – On a bright night for the U.S. Men’s National Team, Christian Pulisic was a bright spot.

In the group’s big 2-0 win over Japan, the forward contributed to the second goal of the night, the 60th-minute strike from Folarin Balogun. The assist was No. 19 for Pulisic in his nine-year international career, tying the 27-year-old with Claudio Reyna and legendary forward Clint Dempsey for fourth all-time in USMNT history.

September camp offered a chance for the longtime veteran to get his first minutes with the National Team since spring. The vibes out of training camp were all positive. Teammates reported that Pulisic integrated seamlessly with the squad. While he admitted the program has “been in a tough spot” at times over the past several months, his affection and passion never wavered.

“I love this team,” he said after Tuesday’s match. “It's everything to me."

This camp also gave Pulisic a chance to see some new players and reunite with others. The AC Milan star said he enjoyed bonding with some of the older players like Cristian Roldan, the Seattle Sounders midfielder who was a late addition to Pochettino’s September roster and earned the start Tuesday night. 

“For me, personally, I don't feel like a step was lost,” Pulisic said. “I love being around the team, and I had a great time.”

Against Japan, Pulisic found a lot of freedom, starting the match as a winger on the left side. The 3-4-3 formation resulted in more movement, opening more channels and dynamic playmaking, like when Pulisic almost scored in the 54th minute. Up a goal, the United States kept their foot on the pedal. Pulisic carried the ball toward the goal, dribbling in and out of defenders fluidly and bravely. His driven shot forced Japan goalkeeper Keisuke Osako to drop quickly to keep the strike from squeezing past him from a difficult angle. The goalkeeper made the save, but it was one of the best looks for the U.S. on the night.

It was Pulisic’s actions and quick thinking that led to Balogun’s goal. Following a dead ball after a foul called on Japan, the United States didn’t stall. Pulisic caught Japan on the back foot and took advantage, turning on the jets and moving the ball toward the pitch with urgency. He placed a perfectly timed ball to Balogun making a run in behind, and the striker converted with a clinical finish, not far off from the spot where Pulisic had a go just six minutes earlier.

“I'm pretty comfortable in most of the attacking positions,” Pulisic said. "Today, it was nice playing mostly on the left and being able to turn and coming in on my right foot. It's definitely a good spot for me.”

Like many players called into this camp, these 11 days allowed Pulisic to get more time with Mauricio Pochettino, who was named head coach of the USMNT one year ago to the day on Sept. 10, 2024. In his post-match press conference, Pochettino called Pulisic “un jugador intelligente,” a smart player, and praised his versatility, being able to play both right and left sides of the field. The two have gotten to know each other better this camp and are on a good page as Pulisic departs Columbus and returns to his club in Italy.

“We had good conversations,” Pulisic told reporters after the match. “Honestly, what you guys experience and what the media sees is not exactly what we experience. Things are good. We spoke. We had a normal camp, and everything is good between us and good between the team. There's not as much drama as you guys think.”

Tuesday’s win gives Pulisic and the U.S. a strong result heading into the October window where the USMNT will again face two World Cup-bound opponents in Ecuador and Australia. With nine months to go until the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in June, Tuesday's win and Pulisic’s strong performance builds confidence and puts the U.S. on a positive trajectory heading into fall camps.