For about half a decade, and for the vast majority of his groundbreaking career, Christian Pulisic could confidently be described as a winger. He was a versatile attacker who often wore the number 10 shirt, but was not yet ready for the vaunted role of central playmaker. It would start far to the left or far to the right. Sometimes he starred, but sometimes he fought. He was, for the most part, a peripheral figure, until now, in his breakout season.
In just over three months, Pulisic has already contributed 16 goals for club and country; He scored his 10th of the campaign on Tuesday in AC Milan’s 3-2 Champions League victory over Slovan Bratislava.
And he did so, for the fourth time this month, from a classic number 10 position, the position that has quietly become his.
On Tuesday he did it in transition. She combined with forward Tammy Abraham and broke through the heart of the Slovan defense.
For the US men’s national team over the previous two weeks, he excelled in a similar role and in multiple phases of the game.
In the first leg of the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Jamaica, he deviated from his typical position on the left wing and floated between Jamaica’s lines in search of space. In the fifth minute, he found it and played a through ball to Ricardo Pepi for the only goal of the game.
Four days later, in the second leg, his new role seemed to crystallize. With Tim Weah on the left and Yunus Musah on the right, Pulisic played centrally in a 4-2-3-1. This time, he saw a gap in the Jamaican defense, ran through it and took advantage of a pass from Weston McKennie to open the scoring.
He later doubled the United States’ lead with a shot from the top of the box, which deflected off Jamaican goalkeeper Andre Blake and scored an own goal.
And throughout his 68 minutes on the pitch, he looked dangerous, confident and free.
The positional evolution of Christian Pulisic
Pulisic, of course, is no stranger to central areas. He often played there as a teenager. He was number 10 in the United States youth teams. He was a central creator in the early days of former USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter. “I’ve played a lot in the middle and I feel comfortable there,” he said in 2019.
But at Borussia Dortmund, and then Chelsea, he was neither prepared nor entrusted with the responsibility that comes with a central role in elite European leagues. He wasn’t strong enough on the ball, nor smart enough with it, nor sharp enough in tight spaces. So he was diverted and tasked with creating from less coveted areas and less dangerous positions.
Meanwhile, in the national team he was still allowed some freedom. But as the USMNT roster solidified around him, his role became more rigid. For years he almost invariably played on the left of a 4-3-3. In possession, he moved inside, but his basic position was that of a winger.
Then Mauricio Pochettino arrived; and in November, Pochettino began to make adjustments.
At the same time, in Italy, AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca has moved Pulisic into the middle. In his last four starts in Serie A and the Champions League, he has played between two extremes, something between an attacking midfielder and a second striker. He doesn’t reach deep to catch the ball, like some old-school number 10s would; rather, he moves around looking for space and spots opportunities to dive behind the opposing defense.
In his most important game of the season, against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu, he created a goal by combining with striker Álvaro Morata and breaking into the half-space.
For the USMNT, he outplayed Pepi, but also provided quality opportunities for the young forward.
For both the club and the country, their movement has been diverse. His actions have been dynamic and intelligent.
As a winger earlier this year, he was already playing the best football of his career. His evolution back to a central position appears to be the next stage of his continued development.