ZAPHOD2319

The US team has a way to go, but the youth movement is encouraging. The young players look to Pulisic as the leader. The team as a whole has improved and I think there are much better days ahead. I think the remaining older players are done after this Gold Cup. The team will truly be Pulisic's squad going forward. Bradley has had high praise for Pulisic. I think the leadership torch will go from Bradley to Pulisic now.

I think the biggest problem is that after most of the tournament the US went youth and did very well. In the final the coach put more experienced starters out there saying they would be better suited to the pressure Mexico uses. After Pulisic ran through the Mexican defense for the entire first half, Mexico adjusted and tried to deny him getting the ball. The US attack suffered. The US tried to get the offense through Bradley and Altidore, Mexico made them look old and slow. I think the US should have stayed with the youth that got them there.

This is the most complete article I could find about his plans. https://www.thesportsbank.net/football/chelsea/christian-pulisic-to-join-up-with-chelsea-after-gold-cup-no-post-tourney-holiday/

Pulisic has said that he is counting the time off he took (while in London and the US) between Bundesliga and Gold Cup as his time off and only plans a few days off after the Gold Cup final. He is hopeful to get in enough practice with Chelsea to be on the pitch in Japan.

Looks like Chelsea is getting paid.

It really is odd to see a player in any sport trying to leverage starting or playing time and a jersey number into a contract. Does this ever really happen in any team sport?

McKenny does not handle the ball anywhere near as much as Pulisic. McKenny is having a good tournament. Only someone that has an axe to grind would say he is having as good a tournament as Pulisic.

He definitely has development left to become better than an average player, but what a base of talent to develop from. He has been very fortunate to play for managers that have invested into his development. I am really happy he landed with Lampard and his coaches that all come from a player development past. I am excited to see where he goes with all the talented coaches around him.

The really nice thing about this is he has become very consistent at being able to drop the ball in like that. I have been following the kid for years and it is really nice to see his play become more consistent and his stamina increase in the last two years. He has more development to go, but Chelsea is getting him at a pretty sweet time in his career. The thing he has always had is how well he sees the field. Now he is better at delivering at what he sees.

Thank you all for the welcome. It seems like the last month has been daily checking to see where Chelsea is with Frank Lampard. I know I am new to the Chelsea culture. From an outsider it seems like Chelsea produces some pretty awesome young talent only not to use them, but to go after players in their prime through transfers. I think it is going to be exciting to see all these emerging stars that Chelsea has developed get a chance to shine for a year. It would be pretty spectacular if several of them emerge so once transfer happen again it is only one or two needed to complete a powerful squad. I have good friends over here that are die hard Man U and Arsenal fans and they do not seem to have this air of excitement that is going on at Chelsea.

I guess I am part of what you get for buying Pulisic. Been following the kid since he went to Dortmund. Took my Chelsea fan of a son to see the USMNT play a few matches. My son played for a youth club sponsored by Chelsea on Jekyll Island in Georgia USA. He has been a Chelsea fan for years. Loves Hazard and Kante. I plan on lurking and reading mostly. Just wanted to say hello. Dave