With the 2026 World Cup just a measly 798 days away (😁), we think it’s a good time to talk about Captain Marvel!
Christian Pulisic is the hope of all Americans around the US of A as well as around the globe. A player that is now considered the best United States player that has been developed since the likes if Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey, what he brings to the table is less so the hardworking tenacity that almost every elite level US player has, but he also has that extra bit in terms of his technical capabilites being better than the two that were mentioned. Christian has for a long time been touted as the next biggest thing, with his meteoric rise (in the eyes of Americans) being very similar to that of Freddy Edu, but where the Ghanaian American lacked in quality, Christian has made up for it with his continuous high level performances in addition to being able to mix it with other players outside of North America and not looking out of place. For us, being fellow Americans (with a Caribbean background. Shout out to the man dem 😉 🇦🇬), it does bring a lot of joy to be the creators of today’s episode. Let’s see what Captain America has in stored for you all…
SM24 ATTRIBUTES
A very unique player in his own way, Puli represents a very rare breed of player who has the tactical understanding to be able to play in a multitude of different positions and roles. What also makes Christian stand out is the fact that he does not fit the orthodox ‘Explosive Winger’ mold who thrives off getting 1v1 against his ‘Fullback’ and staying out wide in order to get “chalk on his cleats”, but he is more than capable of performing that specific role. With his world class Movement, it displays his ability to find space and get into quite dangerous positions especially when being played in a no.10 position as a ‘Floating Advanced Playmaker’… Christian also possesses the physical capabilities to play even deeper which was displayed during his time at Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel where he was frequently played as a ‘Wingback’ in formations like the 3-5-2 or 3-4-2-1. Christian is also the captain of one of the three countries that will be hosting the 2026 World Cup (alongside 🍁 and 🇲🇽), therefore, with the weight of an entire nation on his shoulders he will need to have quite the mentality that is necessary to get the best from himself as well as his teammates. And, we’re not trying to be bias here (wellllll…. 😅), it should be something that the entire globe is engaged in.
TECHNICAL ATTRIBUTES
Although we mentioned that Christian is one of the most technically gifted players ever produced in North American shores, it does little to demonstrate how much his European and South American colleagues are ahead of him in terms of both technical nuance and tactical intelligence since they’ve been surrounded by better informed teachers at a young age, so for the most part, these technical attributes are a good representation of what to expect from Christian whether using him off the right, the left, or through the centre. There are some attributes that need a slight change, and ofcourse we have to start with his Positioning; Puli’s Long Passing also needs a bit of a decrease since he is not the type of player who plays those kind of balls; his creativity needs to be increased since anything that Puli lacks in Dribbling or the usual “Winger traits”, he makes up for it with his Creativity via what he does both on and off the ball.
WHAT WE THINK
PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES
The beauty about North American players is that for the most part they have not been educated in the technical and tactical part of their game during their developmental stage in camps all across North America compared to in Europe and South America, but they most definitely have done the work neccessary to become physical specimens in terms of what they provide when both running with the ball and putting in the effort required in order to assist their team in regaining possession. Christian leads the pack as one of the quickest players in world football and a player who simply never stops running, and is one of the catalyst as to why he has been able to play for the likes of Dortmund, Chelsea, and Milan in his relatively short career to date. And if you’re quite skeptical of us stating that North Americaners have a tremendously high level of physical attributes since they aren’t regularly publicized, check out the following players below:
WHAT WE THINK
The one thing that does need an increase is his Aerial Ability because although Christian only stands at 5’10”, he is someone who is considered an intelligent header in terms of the timing of his run into the box in addition to his timing of his jump to head the ball. He is similar to players such as Sadio Mané & Diogo Jota who are relatively short in stature yet good in the air (but Christian is not as prolific as these two).
MENTAL ATTRIBUTES
This is a very good opportunity to demonstrate how each Mental Attribute explains what to expect from a player like Christian Pulisic within this compartment of his game. Although he is a very hardworking chap, his Aggression is an indication of a player that doesn’t necessarily want to get too involved in the ferocious battles that football tends to provide (which is a very familiar trait amongst ‘Wingers’); His Composure represents how neat he is when the ball is at his feet and for Christian in particular he is a ‘Winger’ that enjoys freedom and is quite effective when receiving the ball in between the lines, in addition to showing calmness (which is a synonym of composure) whilst around the penalty box; although a wide player, it can be said that Christian is not your typical ‘Winger’ from the perspective that he has played in deeper roles within his career, so that means he has had to display some form of Concentration to have played at ‘Wingback’ in the past and this had to be an indication that he had some level of Concentration and wasn’t simply down to Tuchel wanting to add an extra attacker into his XI; Now, his Flair represents a Wide Player who can get past his opposition if he needed to, but he isn’t someone that wants to get isolated with a ‘Fullback’ on a regular basis. He’s more of a ‘Winger’ who likes to float, make runs in behind and impact a match via obtaining assists and goals. Lastly, although Christian is currently the Captain of USA, that decision was probably down to him being their best player and one of the stars who were playing in one of Europe’s top 5 leagues. Also, it could have been a decision made out of a need to apply that extra pressure so that he can improve as a player with the added responsibility. So, all in all an ’80’ for his Leadership attribute is understandable.
WHAT WE THINK
Captain America will be hoping to keep up his performances currently at AC.Milan in order to have enough impetus to lead the US of A towards potentially getting into the last 8 on home soil. But for now, at least you have the understanding of what to expect from him within your very own squad…
The Soccermanager Experience 