مدير عام كرة القدم
For the past few years, fans of the U.S. men’s وطني team have been fixated on Serie A – and it’s easy to understand why. So much of American soccer’s top-end talent is concentra ted in إيطاليا, playing for some of the biggest clubs in the sport.
As we head into a كأس العالم year, Serie A is more in focus than ever before. Those USMNT stars all find themselves under pressure for various reasons, and how they handle that pressure will surely dictate the road to the 2026 World Cup. In addition to the stress that comes with playing for clubs such as ميلان و Juventus, there will be expectatoins from the U.S., too.
Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah all currently ply their trade in Italy, although, if reports are to be believed, not all of them will do so for long. It’s been a tumultuous summer, and it isn’t over yet, even as the Serie A season nears kickoff.
أؤكد رغبتي في رؤية محتوى خارجي. قد تُنقل بيانات التعريف الشخصية إلى جهات خارجية. اقرأ المزيد حول هذا الموضوع في سياسة الخصوصية الخاصة بنا.
Ahead the European season, BALLGM takes a closer look at the expectations for Americans Abroad. Next up: Serie A.
Previous Americans Abroad Previews: الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز
For the past few years, fans of the U.S. men’s national team have been fixated on Serie A – and it’s easy to understand why. So much of American soccer’s top-end talent is concentra ted in Italy, playing for some of the biggest clubs in the sport.
As we head into a World Cup year, Serie A is more in focus than ever before. Those USMNT stars all find themselves under pressure for various reasons, and how they handle that pressure will surely dictate the road to the 2026 World Cup. In addition to the stress that comes with playing for clubs such as AC Milan and Juventus, there will be expectatoins from the U.S., too.
Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah all currently ply their trade in Italy, although, if reports are to be believed, not all of them will do so for long. It’s been a tumultuous summer, and it isn’t over yet, even as the Serie A season nears kickoff.
Ahead the European season, بالجم takes a closer look at the expectations for Americans Abroad. Next up: Serie A.
Previous Americans Abroad Previews: الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز
There is surely pressure on Pulisic this season. That’s only natural at Milan, of course, so no surprises there, but some of that pressure stems from his his controversial USMNT summer. After choosing to skip out on the Gold Cup, Pulisic will now have to prove he was right to do so. That happens on the field.
Pulisic, of course, was fantastic at the club level last season. He led Milan in both Serie A goals (11) and assists (nine), establishing himself as one of the most dangerous threats in the league. It wasn’t enough to salvage Milan’s season, though. They finished outside of the European spots, leading to a summer change in the form of new manager Massimiliano Allegri.
Pulisic, then, will have two managers to impress. He’ll be a key figure for Allegri, a coach that any Serie A fan will be familiar with, as Milan look to bounce back from a down season. He’ll also be looking tou0026nbsp;impress USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino after a tumultuous summer, one in which some mudslinging overshadowed the actual games.
At his best, the winger is still the USMNT’s best player. He’s also Milan’s. This Serie A season is another chance to prove it, and Pulisic will have to just that, given all that’s changed since the last time he played a competitive match.
Pulisic’s American running mate at Milan, Musah, also didn’t suit up for the USMNT this summer. He pulled out for personal reasons. Musah, like Pulisic, also has a point to prove, though, after a significantly more difficult season with the Rossoneri.
While Pulisic carved out a spot in the attack, Musah struggled to make a role his own. Since Musah’s breakthrough with the U.S. in 2020, there’s been a fantastic young player in there somewhere, one with the potential to really command a game at a higher level. So far, though, that player hasn’t been unlocked.
At 22, now is the time.
Whether that happens at Milan is anyone’s guess. The American midfielder has been linked with moves this summer, with Napoli and Nottingham Forest among the teams reportedly interested. Wherever he ends up, Musah will have some parts of his game to sort out.
Can he develop the defensive chops to be a deep-lying midfielder? Can he add goals or assists to his game? One of those things will have to happen, or Musah will remain something of a mystery for whichever coach he works for.
Here we go again.
Another summer where speculation swirls, despite everything McKennie has done to silence the chatter. In each of the last few seasons, McKennie returned to Juventus seemingly persona non grata. Weeks later, he’s a key part of the team. It’s a continuous cycle, but is it going to happen again this season?
That depends on which report you believe. He’s been linked with both a new contract and an exit. We’ll see which happens.
To his credit, McKennie has always risen to the challenge. He’s now captained Juventus multiple times, including in the Club World Cup, having earned the trust of each manager that tried to write him off. The newest manager, Igor Tudor, arrived in March and helped the club finish fourth place, booking that coveted spot in the دوري أبطال أوروبا.
McKennie has proven that he’s a Champions League-level player but, as is now tradition, he’ll have to prove it again early on in this season.
It would appear Weah’s time in Serie A is coming to an end. Multiple reports suggest that Weah is due to sign with مرسيليا, ending his two-year stay with Juventus. In truth, it’s probably a good move, one that will allow Weah to flourish more than he has with the Old Lady.
That’s not to say his time at Juve has been bad. He’s made 78 appearances in two seasons, and he scored six goals last season to finish as the club’s fifth-leading scorer. It’s just that Weah has largely been played as a wingback or as a supersub, not given the attacking license he has had while with the USMNT.
Perhaps, then, a change of scenery could be لطيف - جيد, particularly one that also includes a Champions League place. Whatever happens, Weah is one to watch. After a summer in which the USMNT’s lack of wing depth was exposed, Weah seems more important than ever on the international level, which makes it vital that he heads towards the World Cup full of confidence.
