“Gets on My Nerves”- Christian Pulisic Reveals How Father’s Tough Love Turned Him Into USMNT’s Superstar of Today

Being a parent can be tough, but in a child’s eyes, nobody is better than their loved ones. Often, parents try to convey the idea that they love their children, but not in the typical ‘love-you’ behavior. For Christian Pulisic, growing up, his father Mark Pulisic became one of his greatest inspirations in playing soccer. However, Mark was not lenient with his son on the pitch as a former soccer player. 

As Tim Notke famously said, ‘Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard’. Mark Pulisic recognized his son’s potential early on and started developing him at a young age. For Christian Pulisic, the journey was initially tough, but all of his hard work paid off when he became the first American to play in a Champions League final.

In his ‘Pulisic’ documentary, the forward shares his experiences growing up in the Pulisic household. “Sometimes he gets on my nerves, the guy is absolutely out of his mind. He knows how to get to me, how to motivate me, how to p–s me off.” says the forward, whose father also coached at the Borussia Dortmund academy. 

“That’s being harsh on my dad, though,” Pulisic tells The Athletic. “He did a good job of drawing the line. He never made me hate the game or want to stop and want to quit. He was not so over the top parenting that it was out of control. It was never like that.” 

Growing up, Mark Pulisic played for Harrisburg Heat in the National Professional Soccer League before transitioning to coaching. While he has coached many teams, his proudest achievement is the effort he put into developing his son’s skills. But for Christian, his journey to the top is fraught with obstacles, with the forward currently facing another. 

When will Christian Pulisic return?

Captain America recently picked up a calf injury in AC Milan’s 1-2 defeat to Atalanta. Pulisic came off in the 38th minute as a challenge by Mario Pašalić ended his match early. Initial tests ruled out the 26-year-old for the rest of 2024. This has gotten the USMNT and Rossoneri camps perplexed, given the American’s form this season. 

The ‘Lebron James of Soccer’ has been having an impressive season, scoring 8 goals and 5 assists for the Serie A side and also becoming the fastest player to reach 50 goal contributions for the USMNT. As for Mauricio Pochettino, fans are hopeful that Pulisic will be fit for the January Camp against Venezuela and Chile. 

From Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea to AC Milan, Christian Pulisic has established himself as a prominent name in soccer. Amid interest from other clubs given his form, it will be intriguing to see whether he continues his time in Italy. One thing is certain, all the effort that Mark put into developing his son’s talent has not gone to waste!