Christian Pulisic’s ‘fearless’ drive has made a kid from Hershey a World Cup star

The referee blew his whistle, signaling a foul and awarding a penalty kick. Christian Pulisic — two years younger and a foot shorter than the rest of the players — dashed toward the ball.

Pulisic’s father insisted that his son play with older children, believing the challenge would help percolate the talent he already identified as special before the boy turned 10. Pulisic soon became the face of American soccer, perhaps the best American to ever play in Europe, and the hope that the United States can knock off a soccer power on Saturday in the World Cup.

But that wasn’t always evident as Pulisic ran across fields in Lancaster County. He was often overmatched by bigger, stronger opponents as a 9-year-old with the PA Classics, and his skills — the ones that helped the U.S. men’s national team advance to Saturday’s World Cup Round of 16 game against the Netherlands — sometimes failed to flourish.

Then he ran to grab the ball for a penalty kick.

“He didn’t wait for any of his teammates. He goes and gets it,” said Doug Harris, who co-founded the PA Classics in 2004. “He puts the ball on the penalty spot and proceeds to just bury this ball as calmly as you can imagine against guys who are two years older. It was remarkable.

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“He’s like ‘Hey, I’m taking this one.’ What I’ve witnessed with Christian is he’s fearless. He’s absolutely fearless. He’s not intimidated.”

Pulisic left Hershey for Germany when he was just 16 years old and the sport has taken him all over the world. He has played the last eight seasons in Europe, splitting his time with two of the sport’s premier clubs: Germany’s Borussia Dortmund and England’s Chelsea.

Pulisic is the youngest player to score for the U.S. men’s national team, which he did as a 17-year-old debutant a day after attending the senior prom at Hershey High. He’s been a mainstay for the U.S. ever since, earning the nickname “Captain America” and pegged as a generational talent. Once the smallest kid on the field, the 24-year-old Pulisic is now the star of the U.S. team.

His skills are no longer suppressed by older players, but he’s still just as fearless. And that was obvious Tuesday when he charged the net, lunged into the air, reached out his right foot, and perfectly directed Sergiño Dest’s headed cross into the net before crashing into Iran’s goalkeeper.

Pulisic finished the first half — his goal being the difference in a 1-0 win that advanced the U.S. past the group stage — but did not return in the second half. He was taken to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with a pelvic contusion. Pulisic posted a photo to social media of him giving a thumbs up. He was OK. This was just the price he paid for being fearless.

“I’ve been following soccer for decades and the U.S. generally does not have guys who just want to go right at the back line,” Harris said. “Because you know what happens, you’re going to run at the back line 10 times and nine of those times, you’re going to get stopped. But it’s that last time that you have a breakthrough and score the goal and win it for your team. He has that mentality. He wants to run at a back line. He’ll look you right in the eyes and say, ‘I’m coming right at you.’ I love that mentality. He’s had that for quite some time.”

Pulisic was born in Hershey but spent a year of his childhood in England while his mother, Kelley, was teaching as a Fulbright scholar. His parents met in the 1980s as soccer players at George Mason University so Pulisic was born into a soccer family. That passion for the sport only deepened in England as he played for a youth team and attended Premier League matches with his father, Mark.

The family then moved to suburban Detroit while his father — who spent nine seasons as a professional indoor soccer player — coached an indoor team. They returned to Hershey when Pulisic was 9, arriving in time for him to play with the older kids.

It was in Hershey that Pulisic began to dream of moments like Saturday in Qatar. He remembers sitting in his basement with his family cheering for the U.S. in the World Cup.

That’s where he watched Landon Donovan’s goal in 2010 against Algeria that sent the U.S. to the knockout stages, perhaps the most meaningful American goal before Pulisic’s strike. The kid who was decked out in red, white, and blue as he watched in the basement is now the one creating the moments.

“It was always a dream of mine. I wanted to be there so bad,” Pulisic said at a news conference before the World Cup’s opening game. “Now to actually be a part of this team at the World Cup, it’s special. I don’t want to take a moment of this for granted.”

Pulisic wasn’t just fearless as a 9-year-old, he also displayed an uncommon understanding of the game. He always seemed to be a step ahead, seeing the game unlike the players who were two years older than him.

Friends texted Harris after Pulisic’s goal against Iran, praising Pulisic for the way he charged the net while the ball was still two passes away from the player who would eventually deliver the final pass. That’s how Pulisic always was, Harris said.

“If you watch the run develop, there’s just something about it. He’s reading what’s going on two passes ahead of when he scores,” Harris said. “He sees that ball get flighted across the pitch and knows exactly where he needs to be on the back end. I think Christian studies the game. He just has the IQ designed to see things and to feel things. The speed and athleticism to get there.

“Christian’s instincts have always been good, just knowing where to go and when to be there. He just had an awareness of the field and where to be at the right time.”

The PA Classics, Harris said, usually don’t let children play with older age groups. And certainly not two years ahead. But Mark Pulisic was adamant that his son needed to do that. Pulisic showed the coaches videos of his son — “He’s doing moves that you just shake your head at,” Harris said — in hopes that they would adjust their stance.

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So Harris and Steve Klein, the program’s director of coaching, decided to give the kid a chance. Pulisic’s father was a former pro and coached for years at nearby Lebanon Valley College. Dad knew best, they figured. Dad also knew his son was fearless.

“We were like, ‘You know what, let’s do it,’” Harris said. “And certainly if we missed the mark and it’s going to be a little too much for Christian, then maybe we drop him down in age. But that never happened. What I think PA Classics was able to do was just provide a vehicle. Christian was the work behind it.”