Christian Pulisic

Christian Pulisic

Personal information
Full name	Christian Mate Pulisic[1]
Date of birth	September 18, 1998
Place of birth	Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position	Midfielder[2]
Club information
Current team	Borussia Dortmund
Number	22
Youth career
2011–2015	PA Classics[3]
2015–2016	Borussia Dortmund
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2016–	Borussia Dortmund	8	(2)
National team^‡
2013	United States U15	10	(2)
2013–2015	United States U17	34	(20)
2016–	United States	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of April 23, 2016 (UTC). † Appearances (goals) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of March 29, 2016 (UTC)

Christian Mate Pulisic is an American professional footballer who plays for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.^[4][5] Pulisic is considered by many to be a top American soccer prospect,^[6] and is the youngest player to represent the senior national team in a FIFA World Cup qualifier. His rapid rise with the US youth national teams has been mirrored by his rapid rise through the Borussia Dortmund academy, where he played just 15 games before being brought into the first team during the 2015–16 winter break.^[7]

In April 2016, he became the youngest foreigner to score a goal in the Bundesliga.^[8] Later that month, he became the youngest player to ever score two goals in the Bundesliga.^[9]

Early and personal life

Pulisic grew up in Hershey, Pennsylvania. His father Mark Pulisic played professional indoor soccer for the Harrisburg Heat in the 1990s. Pulisic grew up playing for local youth club PA Classics as well as sometimes training with local professional club Harrisburg City Islanders during his teen years.

Pulisic's grandfather was born in Croatia,^[10] and he applied for Croatian citizenship after moving to Germany (and the European Union) in order to avoid having to apply for a German work visa.

Pulisic has a cousin, Will, who has also represented the United States at under-17 level, as a goalkeeper. In March 2016, he announced that he too would be moving to Borussia Dortmund.^[11]

Career

Borussia Dortmund

2015

On January 4, 2015, Borussia Dortmund signed 16-year-old Pulisic and assigned him first to their U17 squad and in Summer 2015 to the U19. After scoring 10 and assisting 8 in just 15 games with the Dortmund youth teams,^[12] Pulisic was called to join the first team over winter break.^[13]

2016

While with the first team in pre-season training, Pulisic played the second half of two games, scoring one goal and assisting another.^[14]

On January 24, a day after making his debut on the first team bench,^[15] Pulisic played 90 minutes in a friendly against FC Union Berlin, scoring a goal and assisting another.^[16] He made his Bundesliga debut in a 2–0 win against FC Ingolstadt 04 on January 30, 2016, coming on as a second-half substitute for Adrián Ramos.^[17] On February 18, Pulisic made his UEFA Europa League debut as a second-half substitute in a 2-0 victory against FC Porto.^[18]

Pulisic made his first Bundesliga start on February 21, against Bayer Leverkusen before eventually being substituted for Marco Reus. He made his second Bundesliga start on April 10, against FC Schalke 04 in the Revierderby, playing 73 minutes before being replaced by İlkay Gündoğan. In response to Pulisic's performance against Schalke, team manager Thomas Tuchel said, "He's a teenager in his first year of professional football. His first two games in the starting eleven were in Leverkusen and here today in Schalke - not the easiest of tasks. It shows our huge appreciation that we see him as a full time player on our team. He was a valuable substitute against Werder Bremen and Liverpool. He has looked really good recently which has been proved today. It is completely normal that he could not have played with this pace and this intensity for over 90 minutes."^[19]

Pulisic scored his first Bundesliga goal for Borussia Dortmund on April 17, opening the scoring in a 3–0 home win against Hamburger SV. It made him the youngest non-German and fourth-youngest player to score a goal in the Bundesliga, at just 17 years and 212 days old.^[8] With his goal against VfB Stuttgart on April 23, Pulisic broke another Bundesliga scoring record by becoming the youngest player ever (foreign or domestic) to score two goals in the top-flight league. The game also marks his first yellow card in the Bundesliga, as a result of a challenge on Emiliano Insúa. ^[20]

International

Pulisic has represented the United States at the U-15 and U-17 levels. He captained the US U-17 national team at the 2015 U17 World Cup in Chile, where he had a goal and an assist in three games.^[21] Pulisic scored 20 goals in 34 games with the U17's during his two-year cycle with the team.

On March 27, 2016, Pulisic was called up to the Senior team by coach Jürgen Klinsmann ahead of a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying game against Guatemala.^[22] Two days later, he made his debut in that match, a 4–0 win at the Mapfre Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, as an 81st-minute substitute for Graham Zusi; making him cap-tied to the United States. He became the youngest American to play a World Cup qualifier.^[10]

Career statistics

As of April 23, 2016.

Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Total		Ref.
		League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Borussia Dortmund	2015–16	Bundesliga	8	2	0	0	3	0	11	2	[23]
Career totals			8	2	0	0	2	0	11	2	—

References

1. "FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015 List of Players" (PDF). fifadata.com. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
2. http://www.bvb.de/eng/Teams/First-Team/Christian-Pulisic
3. "Christian Pulisic". ussda.demosphere.com. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
4. "Christian Pulisic". soccerway.com. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
5. "Christian Pulisic – USMNT – US Mens Soccer Official Site". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
6. Bird, Liviu. "USA's Pulisic a fast-rising talent at Dortmund". www.si.com. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
7. Pulisic, Christian. "MLS Soccer".
8. "Christian Pulisic becomes youngest non-German to score in Bundesliga". ESPNFC.com.
9. "Christian Pulisic scores again to become youngest player ever with two Bundesliga goals". Fox Sports. 23 April 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
10. "PULISIC MAKES HISTORY AS USA BEAT GUATEMALA". Bundesliga. 30 March 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
11. "U.S. under-17 keeper Will Pulisic set to join cousin Christian at Dortmund". ESPN FC. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
12. "Who is US international Christian Pulisic, and how did he make the Borussia Dortmund first team at 17 years old?". MLSsoccer.com.
13. "Der nächste Schritt für Passlack und Pulisic". kicker online. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
14. "Christian Pulisic scores in Dortmund win". Soccer By Ives. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
15. "Pulisic on the bench for Dortmund's friendly against Sparta Prague. Kick off is at 1:15pm EST, watch it live here. • /r/ussoccer". reddit. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
16. "Christian Pulisic scores second friendly goal of month for Dortmund". Soccer By Ives. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
17. "American 17-year-old Christian Pulisic makes Bundesliga debut for Dortmund". ESPN FC. January 30, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
18. "Dortmund deal Porto heavy blow". UEFA.com.
19. Redford, Patrick. "Christian Pulisic, The Latest "Savior Of American Soccer," Is More Than Just Hype". Screamer. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
20. "Christian Pulisic scores again to become youngest player ever with 2 Bundesliga goals". FoxSports.com.
21. "FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015 - Matches - USA 2:2 (2:0) Croatia - FIFA.com". FIFA.com.
22. "Zusi, Pulisic Added to MNT Roster Ahead of Qualifying Match vs. Guatemala, Presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance, in Columbus".
23. http://www.espnfc.us/player/225607/christian-pulisic