Pulisic assist to Musah against Panama. If you’re going to have a first goal under Mauricio Pochettino’s coaching tenure with the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT), this is a perfect example of one you’d want. It was truly a team effort, with four players involved in the buildup. Topped off by a wonderful give and go and a cross along the goal mouth by Pulisic.
Watch the video of the Pulisic assist to Musah below.
PULISIC ASSIST, MUSAH GOAL.
THE FIRST GOAL OF THE POCHETTINO ERA FOR THE USMNT.
📺 Telemundo pic.twitter.com/46AnYGQrCf
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) October 13, 2024
Antonee Robinson initiated the play, fighting to keep the ball on the flank and finding Brenden Aaronson. Aaronson then executed a quick give-and-go with Christian Pulisic. With a perfect cross from Pulisic, he found Yunus Musah, who read the play brilliantly and scored his first goal for the U.S. national team.
This goal, marked by quick passing and teamwork, is exactly the type of team play any coach strives for. Overall, it’s the AC Milan duo, Pulisic and Musah, who combined beautifully to score the first goal of the Pochettino era.
Pochettino praised Pulisic, in the press conference prior to the Panama game:
“I think he’s a fantastic player, one of the best offensive players in the world.”
Pulisic said he’d worked hard to get to where he is now as a player. And he is maybe playing with the most confidence ever in his pro soccer career so far. He’s both scoring and assisting for AC Milan:
“It doesn’t surprise me because I’ve worked on this my whole life. I feel really comfortable, with the trust and everything they’ve given me at AC Milan. I feel like I’ve had the ability to perform at my best.”
While the Pulisic-Musah connection is crucial in the goal, Antonee Robinson’s work down the flank was key. Throughout the soccer match, Robinson was one of the few players to consistently get behind the defense. It seemed like part of the game plan by Pochettino to use long balls over the top. Sending Robinson down the wing on a regular basis. However, it was a tough ask for him to cover so much ground for the entire match. Robinson functioning almost like a defensive winger – his lungs doing overtime.
Another player who stood out in Pochettino’s team was 22 year old Aidan Morris, who plays for Middlesbrough in the English Premier league. He played the whole 90 minutes and help the United States keep possession 54% of the time. Additionally, Morris has a good understanding with Pulisic. The two often playing quick little wall passes to get out of trouble.
The U.S. will need to find more players capable of contributing to creating chances. They did well in keeping possession and moving the ball quickly, but they’re still lacking those killer passes to unlock defenses.
Some stats from OptaJack: Mauricio Pochettino is the eighth coach Christian Pulisic has played for in his USMNT career, a record for any player. Meanwhile, Yunus Musah became only the second player in USMNT history to play over 3,000 minutes before turning 22, following in the footsteps of Landon Donovan. Pulisic and Musah are two indispensable players for the team, despite their relatively young ages.
Furthermore, both Pulisic and Musah now bring a lot of experience. But Pochettino will need to make tough decisions as he prepares the squad for the World Cup in 2026. Should he bring in younger players to give them experience? How long should Tim Ream remain a defensive focal point? And while Aaronson did brilliantly to pause and hold the ball for a second longer on the wall pass with Pulisic, is he the right creative and attacking player for long term with the team?
Without the need for World Cup qualifiers, since the United States of is course hosting in 2026, the U.S. team and Pochettino will have to schedule tougher matches to test the squad under higher pressure. They have one coming up in a few days in Mexico versus Mexico.
