If any questions remained regarding to whom the current iteration of the U.S. national team belongs, may they now rest eternally, for this is Christian Pulisic’s USMNT.
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Friday night, in Orlando, with the U.S.'s 2018 World Cup dreams hanging in the balance, it’s the 19-year-old Hershey, Penn., native who began most brightly from the opening whistle, and eventually put the fourth-place Yanks 1-0 up on third-place Panama after just eight minutes. (He followed that with an assist to Jozy Altidore for the USMNT’s second goal — WATCH HERE)
Tim Howard booted the ball long, Bobby Wood flicked it on with his head, Altidore applied the feathery touch to Borussia Dortmund’s rising superstar (even if slightly behind him, which was no problem for Pulisic), and off he went. Jaime Penedo was quick off his line, but Pulisic’s feet were quicker as he rounder Panama’s no. 1 and slotted home from a tight angle.
[ MORE: U.S. U-17s beat India 3-0 in World Cup opener ]
Just a kid from Hershey.
— U.S. Men's National Soccer Team (@USMNT) October 7, 2017
@cpulisic_10 delivers yet again for the #USMNT! pic.twitter.com/j5KzsKvvJ9