CINCINNATI — For the layman, it was extraordinary. For Christian Pulisic, it was expected. And once again, the margin of victory for the U.S. men’s national team could be measured, in part, by the distance between Pulisic’s ability and that of the average—or even exceptional—player.
Amid the heat and humidity of FC Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium, and forced to work hard early by a Moroccan side as pressed for World Cup preparation time as the hosts, the U.S. men’s national team took a lead it never relinquished on another gorgeous, game-breaking play by Pulisic. The U.S. captain settled Walker Zimmerman’s long and high, over-the-shoulder pass with one subtle flick of the right foot, shielding the ball from Morocco defender Samy Mmaee. An instant and two touches later, Mmaee was flat on his back. Pulisic had cut back toward the center of the penalty area before alertly finding Brenden Aaronson for an easy, 26th-minute finish.
“I guess for you guys it might not be easy but it’s what I’ve done—I’ve been training this my whole life,” Pulisic said following the 3-0 win when asked about the play. “So for me, it’s a touch that I expect myself to make. Yeah, maybe it’s not for everyone.”
