Puli Did What Now? 🤯; Super Tuesday in Europe 🇺🇸

Christian Pulisic’s borderline unbelievable start to the season kicked it up yet another notch this week, as the 26-year-old from Hershey, Pa. did the unthinkable, and scored directly off of a corner kick in Milan’s 3-1 win over Club Brugge in the Champions League on Tuesday (watch).

After the ball crossed the line, Pulisic’s face was a mix of joy and wonder, with CP11 admitting that the goal was not one of pure skill, but rather had a bit of good fortune mixed in.

“Today it was a bit of luck but it's still worth a goal. I'm very happy," said Pulisic after the game. "I didn't try to do that but it was a good cross, I'll say that, and after a nice, nice goal but I wasn't trying that."

The remarkable goal comes on the heels of a weekend in which Pulisic assisted the match-winner in Milan’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over Udinese on Saturday. The USMNT star’s overall performance in the win was one of such industriousness and skill that La Gazzetta summed up his day by writing that he is a “true pro like few others.” (To that point, how many other professional footballers do you know of who are chill enough to toss paper airplanes before taking corner kicks?)

Pulisic is like many others in Italy in one way, however, as he has already learned to speak fluent Italian, as evidenced by this post-match interview he conducted in his adopted homeland’s native tongue.

With a goal Tuesday and an assist Saturday, Pulisic now has 10 goal contributions in his last 10 games for club and country. He also now only trails Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez in Serie A goal contributions over the last two seasons.

Moreover, with the wonder-strike, Puli can now lay claim to an achievement that not even the GOAT has managed, as the Olimpico is the one goal that has eluded none other than Lionel Messi himself.

What is the Italian word for “the LeBron James of Calcio”? 🇺🇸🇮🇹🤌

👕 Gear up just like Captain America here

Super Tuesday in Europe:

Puli’s goal was one of no fewer than four scored by USMNT players in Europe on Tuesday. Here’s how the goals flowed in on a wild evening across the continent.

To start, it took Haji Wright just four minutes to find the back of the net in West London, as the 26-year-old from Los Angeles showed composure and accuracy in firing home from close range to help Coventry City earn a 1-1 draw at QPR.

Brenden Aaronson was next, as he scored in the seventh minute for Leeds, calmly opening up his body and catching the ball off the hop to drive home the match-winner for the Lilywhites in their 2-1 home win over Watford.

Just five minutes later in Lancashire, Duane Holmes joined in on the fun with a mad dash and far-post drive for Preston North End in their 2-2 draw with Norwich. And for good measure, Josh Sargent assisted the Canaries’ 61st-minute equalizer at Deepdale. The assist was his second in his last two games, although his off-the-face “pass” at Stoke on Saturday is one he likely won’t look to replicate going forward. 🤕

News and Notes:

• Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner provided an injury update on Chris Richards ahead of the Eagles’ 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Monday, saying he does not expect the USMNT center back to return before the next international break in November. "Chris is now working on the pitch with his rehab. He’s getting closer. [Richards’ injury] was not so serious, but on a bad spot of the muscle."

• Great news from the South Coast of England, as Tyler Adams was named to Bournemouth’s match-day squad in the Cherries’ 2-0 win over Arsenal on Saturday. While Adams did not make an appearance, manager Andoni Iraola has said he has been training “very well” and “is ready.” 💪

• Adams may have another American joining him at the Vitality Stadium in the not-so-distant future, as latest reports are that Bournemouth have made a third transfer bid for DC United’s Matai Akinmobi, an 18-year-old center back born in Annapolis, Md.

• After missing the first Poch Camp earlier this month due to knee issues, midfielder Johnny Cardoso played 90 strong minutes in Real Betis’ 2-1 win at Osasuna on Saturday. 

• With four chances created in Crawley Town’s last two League One matches, Jeremy Kelly — a 27-year-old attack-minded American left back who played for the Colorado Rapids and the USL’s Memphis 901 — has now lifted his total to 30 on the season. Pulisic has 23 chances created for comparison.

• And yes, that was Matt Turner you might have seen on NFL Twitter over the weekend, as the USMNT goalkeeper was in attendance for New England’s 32-16 loss to the Jaguars in London on Sunday.

Parting Shots:

After a four-week absence due to an ankle sprain, Tim Weah returned to the pitch this week with back-to-back substitute appearances for Juventus in their 1-0 win over Lazio on Saturday, and their 1-0 loss to Stuttgart in the Champions League on Tuesday. And while it’s always big news when an American Abroad of Weah’s caliber returns to action, an interview he did with The Athletic generated a fair bit of buzz on its own, as the 24-year-old winger from NYC opened up about everything from his favorite Knicks teams (the Melo-Amare years from 2011-13) to his preferred New York pizza (Lucali in Brooklyn). But perhaps most revealing was Weah sharing how close he is with Juve teammate Weston McKennie.

"Wes is one of the main reasons why I came [to Juventus]," says Weah in the article. “I knew he was here and I knew I was going to have one of my best friends on the team here. And off the pitch, I’m always at his house. We’re always chilling, so already we have that type of relationship. ... I mean, if you look at a lot of my games, the majority of my best games are when me and Wes are playing next to each other.”

Something Poch may want to consider next time he’s filling out the lineup sheet.

Very much worth giving the full article a read either way.

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