USMNT star Christian Pulisic ran the show for AC Milan against Barcelona as he scored and assisted inside 20 minutes on Tuesday night.
Luka Jovic opened the scoring for Milan from close range after 10 minutes following Pulisic's neat pass across the face of goal, and just five minutes later, the USMNT captain doubled the lead. Pulisic was played through by Rafael Leao and lifted the ball over Marc-Andre ter Stegen and into the Barcelona net.
Barcelona pulled one back shortly after through Robert Lewandowski . Still, as the halftime whistle blew, the fans inside M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Pulisic, played for longer during a 1-0 win over Madrid but was still left on the bench until the 66th minute. Fonseca finally named Pulisic in the starting lineup to face Barcelona but was withdrawn from the game after 62 minutes., were treated to a first-half Pulisic masterclass. The game ended 2-2 as Lewandowski scored a brace, but Milan won the penalty shootout.
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Milan was just one of the elite European teams that staged its preseason tour in the U.S., but fans were left disappointed when they attended games. Milan has two USMNT players after signing both Yunus Musah and Pulisic in 2023 , raising the Italian club's popularity in the States. Pulisic's time on the field has been limited by new head coach Paulo Fonseca, leading to fan outrage as many spent hundreds of dollars just to see the USMNT star in action.
Pulisic was named in the starting lineup for the first time on Tuesday after being placed on the bench for preseason clashes against Manchester City and Real Madrid. Pulisic joined the team late due to having an extended summer break after representing the USMNT in Copa America.
Fans were upset and voiced their disappointment on social media after Pulisic only played the final eight minutes in a 3-2 win over City at Yankee Stadium on July 27. "Huge disgrace we’re in the 70th minute and neither Musah nor Pulisic have seen the pitch," one fan wrote during the second half of the game.
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Pulisic played for longer during a 1-0 win over Madrid but was still left on the bench until the 66th minute. Fonseca finally named Pulisic in the starting lineup to face Barcelona but was withdrawn from the game after 62 minutes. Despite the frustration, it's common for star players to have their minutes managed during preseason. The exhibition games are a chance for head coaches to experiment with tactics and also offer valuable game time to younger members of the roster who are looking to break through.
There are no issues between Fonseca and Pulisic, with the head coach already speaking highly of the USMNT star. "Christian is fantastic. His quality is incredible, he will be very important this season too," Fonseca said.
The head coach was also fond of Musah but admitted the midfielder still has a way to go before he is a guaranteed starter. "About Yunus, I am 200% sure that he will be a player of importance for us, of course, he has to learn but he has the right characteristics to play in that position," Fonseca added.
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