DORTMUND, Germany – On a recent Saturday, Borussia Dortmund defeated Stuttgart in what was a rather standard Bundesliga match. It was second place against 15th and, from start to finish, there was little to suggest that any upset or intrigue would come from the 90 minutes of soccer.
Pulisic, pronounces “Pu-liss-ick,” has quickly established himself as a regular for Germany’s second-largest club behind Bayern Munich. He has offered a much-needed, feel-good story to Dortmund supporters who fear another summer of the club’s established stars leaving for Europe’s largest clubs.
However, Pulisic is also a genuine talent, the son of two former George Mason University players, who may well come to lead Dortmund and the U.S. men’s national team for years to come.
He made his U.S. senior debut March 29, entering in the second half against Guatemala during a World Cup qualifier in Columbus, Ohio. With a rapid rise on Coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s roster, Pulisic seems certain to join the U.S. squad for Copa America, a major 16-nation tournament to be staged in the United States next month.
“For Christian, it has been a very exciting ride over the past couple of months,” Klinsmann said. “We are just weeks away from the Copa America. He’s making himself a case.”
Pulisic’s road to stardom began on the training fields of Pennsylvania Classics, an elite youth program based near Harrisburg. He joined the club at age 6 and, aside from a few years spent in Detroit and England, honed his skills in central Pennsylvania until he was 14.
“You could tell he was talented at 6 and 7 years old,” said Steven Klein, who coached Pulisic during his time at Pennsylvania Classics. “But I would say when he was 12-13 years old, you could really see the special qualities surface. There are a lot of kids in the area that look up to him.”
At 14, Pulisic moved to the U.S. Soccer Federation’s under-17 residency program in Bradenton, Fla. In late 2013, he represented the youth squad against Brazil, England and Portugal in a friendly competition that attracted scouts representing a number of European clubs, including Dortmund. Just over a year later, Pulisic agreed to move to Germany and join the club’s U-17 squad.
Despite the notable jump in quality that comes with playing in German youth leagues, Pulisic wasted little time establishing himself. He recorded six goals and five assists in his first eight games for the youth side and was fast-tracked to the U-19 team within six months. By the end of 2015, he was already knocking on the door of the first team and was called up to Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the club’s winter break.
While with the first team during an Asian tour in January, Pulisic made his first-team debut in a friendly against Eintracht Frankfurt. He came off the bench at the start of the second half and notched an assist 15 minutes later.
Three days later he came off the bench once more, this time against Korean side Jeonbuk, and bagged a last-minute goal.
Pulisic, who won’t turn 18 until September, made his Bundesliga debut Jan. 30 and first start three weeks later. In between, he appeared in an UEFA Europa League match.
In all, Pulisic has featured in 11 of Dortmund’s 23 competitive games. He became the eighth-youngest debutant in the Bundesliga and, with a goal against Hamburg on April 17, the youngest non-German player to score in the league.
With the national team, he became the youngest player to represent the United States in a World Cup qualifier. Entry into that match tied him to the U.S. program; through family ties, he had also been eligible to represent Croatia.
“They took me in right away and it felt good to be part of the team,” Pulisic said after his nine-minute appearance during the 4-0 victory over Guatemala. “To get on the field, obviously, it’s been a dream of mine to play for the U.S. national team, so it finally came true and I’m thankful.”
Pulisic’s ability to create and score goals in the tightest of positions has helped him excel despite his lack of experience. His instinctual ability to evade tackles and his close control of the ball allow him to glide by defenders twice his size and just as quick.
Those qualities don’t come down entirely down to good training and excellent coaching from a young age. He developed an eye for the goal from the man who followed him to Germany and watches every game from the stands — his father.
Between 1986 and ’89, Mark Pulisic made 73 appearances (62 starts) for George Mason, posting 35 goals and 11 assists. He was the Patriots’ top scorer in three of his four seasons and was selected three times to the all-Colonial Athletic Association first team.
After his NCAA career, Mark played nine years for the Harrisburg Heat in the National Professional Soccer League. He also coached college soccer and indoor pro teams.
Christian’s mother, Kelley, also played for George Mason, scoring 13 goals in 73 appearances from 1989 to 1992.
As for Christian’s national team future, Klinsmann is trying to tame expectations.
“He knows he’s a very young player. He has to grow a lot. it’s important to keep it all in the right perspective,” Klinsmann said. “He is a very talented 17-year-old who is exciting to watch and has a lot of potential. The fact that he’s in Dortmund in a very intense environment is very helpful because they put him in line right away. … We’ll give him all the time in the world to grow and mature.”
