FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) – Christian Pulisic, suffering the worst goalless drought of his career, is confident there will be goals at the World Cup.
“This has happened before in my career,” he said Saturday, the day before the U.S. faced Senegal in the penultimate warm-up game. “There are difficult times and sometimes I get bounced off my knees and go in, but then everything seems to be going smoothly.”
Pulisic scored 10 goals in his first 15 games for AC Milan This season, he has not scored in 19 games since December 28th. 8 games scoreless in U.S. since November 2024.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino said: “He will score in the World Cup. Yes, I have full faith in that.” “He has a very good attitude, very good commitment. He is working hard to achieve the highest level and I believe he will definitely achieve that.”
Pulisic, a 27-year-old attacker from Hershey, Pennsylvania, has scored 32 goals in 84 international appearances. his goal is 1-0 victory over Iran The USA team advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup.
He has the most international experience of the 26 players on the U.S. roster and is the only holdover from the group that played in the United States. 2017 Loss against Trinidad and TobagoThis ended the American’s streak of consecutive World Cup appearances at seven. Pulisic is among 13 players returning from the 2022 roster.
“The players have just gained more experience at club and international level,” Pulisic said. “Experiencing the World Cup as a team, performing really well and getting through the group, and then having a tough loss against a big team, it all leads to growth. It all helps you learn.”
At the 2022 World Cup, Pulisic was injured while scoring against Iran, but returned to action. Lost to the Netherlands 3-1 In the round of 16.
“Most players will have a lot going into this World Cup, so yeah, just relax a little bit more and prepare for the big moments,” he said. “Every game, every big moment feels just a little bit easier and you go into the game a little bit more comfortable.”
Milan ended the Serie A season with two wins in their last eight games, squandering the lead on the final day. Miss out on Champions League qualification. Director Massimiliano Allegri CEO Giorgio Furlani was fired.
“I don’t try to shift blame or try to figure things out,” Pulisic said. “There were moments where we could have done better, and it was a difficult period for the team. It was a difficult period for me. At the end of the day, that’s what caused it. I haven’t changed the way I train, the way I prepare, the way I keep moving forward and trying to improve every day. I still do that every day and that’s why I can keep my head high. Of course I’m disappointed, but now I have to look forward to what’s in front of me.” ”
Sunday’s game against No. 14 Senegal and a friendly against No. 10 Germany on June 6 will be the 16th-ranked U.S.’s final warm-up games for the World Cup opener against No. 40 Paraguay on June 12. Defender Chris RichardsHe will not play on Sunday as he is recovering from two torn ligaments in his ankle.
“I’m sure we’re going to test some things and move some people around,” Pulisic said. “Maybe it doesn’t look quite the same in the game.”
The last time Americans got together in March, they lost 5-2 Belgium and 2-0 Portugal.
“The team is just getting a little bit of a rhythm and a good feel for the tournament,” Pulisic said. “These are two really strong opponents, so it’s a great opportunity to test ourselves ahead of the World Cup. Of course we want to get a good result, but the most important thing is to have confidence.”
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
