Like those who are personally invested in the success of the U.S. men’s national team and its player pool, Gregg Berhalter took note of the change at the top at Chelsea last week.
Thomas Tuchel’s ouster and Graham Potter’s subsequent hiring as its new manager directly impact one of Berhalter’s top performers, and with the 2022 World Cup around the corner—and the last U.S. camp before the plane leaves for Qatar set to commence in just over a week—Christian Pulisic’s club and playing time situations are once again top of the mind.
It should go without saying, but Pulisic’s national-team standing is not in jeopardy. As long as he’s injury-free, he’s World Cup–bound. But the manner in which he enters the World Cup is of the utmost importance to the U.S. As Berhalter himself has said, when Pulisic plays well, the U.S. tends to play well, and so club performance over the next couple of months will carry some additional significance as it relates to Pulisic’s form and mindset. You don’t tend to just show up at a World Cup and flip a switch.
