USMNT: Pulisic sets European record for an American player

American midfielder, Christian Pulisic, has set a record for the most assists by an American player in Europe, overtaking former Anderlecht midfielder Sacha Klejstan.

It’s been a terrific 2016-17 European season for Pulisic, the 18-year-old has a total of nine assists in all competitions for Borussia Dortmund heading into last weekend’s action. Then he produced a fantastic assist in Dortmund’s 3-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.

The midfielder tracked down his own through ball, after Marco Reus was initially offsides, and sent a pinpoint ball into Reus who tucked home the goal.

This is a perfect example of the energy and work rate the young star has brought Dortmund this season. He’s been a reliable player throughout the season, which has earned him well-deserved playing time.

In addition to his record number of assists (10 – for an America), Pulisic has scored six goals for the Bundesliga side.

In the German club’s first leg loss to Monaco in the UEFA Champions League, Pulisic came on in the second half as a substitute. After a dismal first half, it appears, statistically speaking, that the introduction of the midfielder helped spark the Dortmund offense.

According to recent transfer rumors, the bidding for a possible transfer offer for the American is starting at £30 million. It will be interesting to see what happens over the summer months with these rumors.

Too much hype?

The Pulisic hype train has been in full swing this year and rightly so. At just 18, he becomes only the fourth American to play in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. Let’s be honest, when was the last time we saw an American in the Champions League at this level? It was 2008 when Jermaine Jones played for Schalke.

Pulisic is breath of fresh air for U.S. soccer as a whole. He is not only producing at Dortmund, but also for the USMNT as well. In five FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Pulisic has three goals and five assists. Bottom line, he’s getting it done right now.

It’s understandable American soccer fans may be weary of the hype, as previous players who have received a large amount of praise early in their careers have faltered down the road. But, there are reasons to be optimistic about Pulisic. One of which is the fact that he has spent essentially his entire senior playing career in Europe thus far and is in a good place moving forward in his career.

Next: USSF Division 2: What USL D3 potentially means for the NASL

As the European season winds down let’s appreciate the fact there’s a new star, with the potential to become the greatest American soccer player ever.