The young star was at his best once again, but it was the stellar play of his teammates that helped Pulisic and the U.S. roll to a blowout victory
ORLANDO, Fla — Christian Pulisic put on another masterpiece on Friday, reminding us all why he has begun to draw comparisons to Argentine superstar Lionel Messi. Even Messi might have come away impressed, but probably would been more jealous at the type of support the 19-year-old's teammates gave him.
While Messi endures his own personal World Cup qualifying nightmare with an Argentina squad that simply can't give him any support, Pulisic's latest gem came with the considerable help of teammates who were as determined as he was to deliver a vital qualifying victory on Friday night. They did just that in an emphatic 4-0 win that has the Americans on the verge of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
It was Pulisic who set the tone early, going right at Panama's normally-stingy defense from the start, with his speed and confident dribbling tearing through opposing defenders with ease. That might not have been enough to unlock the feisty Panamanians if Jozy Altidore hadn't also been in top form on the night. It was Altidore whose pass sprung Pulisic on the opener, and it was Altidore's well-timed run that put him in place to finish off Pulisic's inch-perfect cross soon after.
You could feel the U.S. attack feeding off of Pulisic's confidence, as every member of the group contributed. Paul Arriola was especially effective on the night playing on the right wing, where presumably Fabian Johnson would have played if Bruce Arena hadn't chosen to leave him out. Darlington Nagbe was his usual confident self on the ball working the left wing, and while he had the quietest night among the U.S. attackers, he still provided a calming presences when needed.