PHILADELPHIA — The referee blew his whistle, signaling a foul and awarding a penalty kick. Christian Pulisic — two years younger and a foot shorter than the rest of the players — dashed toward the ball.
Pulisic’s father insisted that his son play with older children, believing the challenge would help percolate the talent he already identified as special before the boy turned 10. Pulisic soon became the face of American soccer, perhaps the best American to ever play in Europe, and the hope that the United States can knock off a soccer power on Saturday in the World Cup.
But that wasn’t always evident as Pulisic ran across fields in Lancaster County. He was often overmatched by bigger, stronger opponents as a 9-year-old with the PA Classics, and his skills — the ones that helped the U.S. men’s national team advance to Saturday’s World Cup Round of 16 game against the Netherlands — sometimes failed to flourish.
