USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter has backed Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic to deliver ahead of this month's 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The 24-year-old has suffered a difficult start to life under Graham Potter, struggling to make a lasting impression on the Chelsea manager with the Blues currently sitting in seventh place in the Premier League. With a chance to impress in the Middle East no doubt at the forefront of his mind, Pulisic is set to lead his team out against Wales on November 21 before matches against England and Iran in Group B.
Pulisic is considered the most obvious candidate to captain the USA in Qatar and is undoubtedly the most high-profile name in the squad in Europe and Berhalter believes the Chelsea man can play a vital role.
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“He’s the catalyst. He’s the guy who can jumpstart everything, can make everything happen because of his ability,'' Berhalter said. ''It’s not to add pressure to him because without everyone else performing well, he’ll have no opportunity to do that. But that’s what I mean. He’s like the tip of the iceberg, he’s like that last bit, that really can put you over the top with his special quality.
“That’s his MO. His MO is that if he’s not counted on by a manager then he’s going to prove that manager wrong. He’s going to train as hard as he can, then when he gets on the field he’s going to fight for that jersey, fight for that club, he’s going to show that he should be and deserves to be on the field."
On Pulisic's attitude while not playing as many minutes as he would have liked for Chelsea this season, Berhalter added: “That’s what I really admire about him. It’s the transformation. He doesn’t feel bad for himself, he doesn’t feel sorry for himself, he just goes and does his work. That’s his quality.”
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