Christian Pulisic thriving as USMNT's most important player

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Christian Pulisic's career has taken him to all manner of places. Starting in his hometown of Hershey, Pennsylvania, he has since ventured to Dortmund, London and Milan. His forays with the United States men's national team have taken him to some exotic ports of call, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar among them.

Yet Sunday's Copa América opener against Bolivia was a case where Pulisic came full circle. On his international debut eight years ago, he scored a late goal to put some additional shine on a 4-0 win over -- you guessed it -- Bolivia. The opposition goalkeeper that day was one Guillermo Viscarra. In Sunday's match, Pulisic found the net just under three minutes in, cutting inside after a short corner was played to him, and unleashing an unstoppable shot past Viscarra and just under the crossbar. The sense of déjà vu was palpable; same opponent, same keeper and pretty much the same result. The stakes were a bit higher on this occasion, but with Pulisic adding an assist on Folarin Balogun's goal, the U.S. wound up winning 2-0 and got its Copa América campaign off to a winning start.

It was a vital result given that Bolivia figures to be the weakest team in Group C. La Verde haven't won a competitive fixture away from home soil since 2015. Dropped points would have put the U.S. in a massive bind from the start. Instead, it did enough, and it had Pulisic's brilliance to thank. The U.S. has routinely struggled to break down defensively stout opponents as recently as last March's Concacaf Nations League semifinal against Jamaica. But Pulisic's third-minute goal settled nerves and provided a jolt of confidence.

The 25-year-old also showed a bit more emotion than is his habit when you consider it was the 30th goal of his international career. As he ran to the bench, he pointed toward set piece coach Gianni Vio, who drew up the play, and was later mobbed by his teammates. When asked to explain his reaction, Pulisic said, "It's Copa América, it's a big tournament, I think. I mean, I feel like I'm always pretty excited after I score, but this is a big moment. It's a major tournament, so I don't take this for granted."

Pulisic has all the appearances of a player at his peak. His club season with AC Milan was the best and most consistent of his career. He's gained the trust of managers at both club and international level, and most importantly he has confidence in himself. The nagging injuries appear to be in the past -- touch wood -- and while he's long been one of the USMNT's most important players, he looks capable of dragging his team to greater heights. In the past, Pulisic seemed weighed down by expectations, including those of being a leader. Now he looks liberated by them.

"I think he's found confidence in his game, and everybody needs that reinvigoration at some point in their career, and continue to evolve," said midfielder Tyler Adams. "And by no means is he the finished product. He continues to grow every day."