Christian Pulisic is playing the best soccer of his career at Milan, where he’s showing a new version of himself, one that American fans are craving to see in the U.S. Men’s National Team. But every time he suits up for the USMNT, something shifts, and it’s not for the better. It’s almost like he’s put in a tactical straitjacket, forced to follow a playbook that just doesn’t seem natural for him.
Let’s give credit where it’s due, though. Milan manager Paulo Fonseca found a way to get the best out of Pulisic, and that’s no small feat. The secret? Letting him roam. Fonseca places him in a role where he’s not pinned to the sidelines. Instead, Pulisic floats between the center and right, taking full advantage of a flexible setup that allows him to move across the field without losing sight of the goal. Milan's 4-3-3 morphs into a 4-3-2-1 when they gain possession, with Pulisic and Rafael Leão controlling the middle and creating nightmares for defenders. At Milan, he’s not just a winger; he’s a constant threat, a dynamic piece adapting to the flow of play without tactical handcuffs holding back his creativity.
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Now, compare that to Pulisic’s role in the USMNT under Mauricio Pochettino. The coach, who’s worked with the likes of Messi, Neymar, and Mbappé, has a specific vision for his forwards. For Pulisic in the USMNT, that means being shoved out wide, just one more piece in a tactical puzzle. And let’s be real, no one wants to see Pulisic reduced to that. Sticking him as another run-of-the-mill winger is selling his talent short and ignoring the pivotal role he could play for the team.
Here’s the problem: while Pochettino is a big-name coach, he still doesn’t seem to fully get Pulisic’s style of play. And he’s not the only one; many managers make the same mistake. They see Pulisic as a “classic winger,” confined to the sideline, limited to crosses and dribbling on either flank. At Milan, he’s more of a “tactical chameleon,” shifting positions, finding space, and creating danger through smart plays.
It’s wasted potential—the burden of carrying the U.S. flag on his chest, yet being reduced to a “square peg” in a system that doesn’t understand his gift. The Pulisic we see on the USMNT is like a character drained of his shine, a shadow of what he could be.
And things get even murkier when you look at Pochettino’s history with tactical adaptation. At PSG, he had a tough time trying to position Messi, Neymar, and Mbappé in ways that brought out their best. It didn’t exactly end in glory; for those who watched, he’s a coach who favors fixed positions and well-defined roles. It’s like talent has to bend to fit the system, not the other way around. That’s why he’s hesitant to move Pulisic to the center, despite the clear results that shift brings at Milan.
Then there’s the fact that the USMNT has promising forwards like Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi, whom Pochettino sees as central attackers. Moving Pulisic to the middle would stir up some competition, and that could impact the team’s balance. But is it really worth sacrificing Pulisic’s talent just to stick with a traditional lineup?
Milan gave “Captain America” the chance to redefine his style, adapting and growing in ways we haven’t seen before. He does this without disrupting the team’s setup, with Morata staying as the central striker. Pulisic plays alongside, but with a sense of freedom, and that freedom makes all the difference.
With the 2026 World Cup fast approaching, the U.S. can’t afford to waste the potential of their brightest star anymore. It’s time for Pochettino to stop trying to fit Pulisic into a pre-set mold and instead build something around him, leveraging the momentum he’s bringing from Milan and channeling it into the national team.
The clock’s ticking; it’s time to stop seeing Pulisic as just another player on the roster and start treating him as the leader he truly is. “Captain America” deserves his moment in the spotlight, and for that, Pochettino has to take the leap and give Pulisic the same freedom he’s got at Milan.