Christian Pulisic netted his opening goal of the campaign on Sunday as AC Milan faced Lecce in Serie A action. The American winger collected a long pass from center back Strahinja Pavlovic, burst into the penalty area ahead of two defenders, and curled a left-footed finish past goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone in the 14th minute.
Pulisic’s breakthrough comes after a gradual return to match fitness under new Milan coach Ruben Amorim. The winger appeared as a substitute in a midweek UEFA Europa League loss to Benfica on Wednesday and made his first start under the manager against Lecce on Sunday. His integration into Amorim’s squad has been measured following an injury-plagued World Cup that included a microfracture in his leg, which forced him to miss significant portions of Milan’s preseason preparations.
The goal marks Pulisic’s first since December 28 and only his second goal across club and country during a 30-game stretch, according to available records. Prior to this drought, the 28-year-old had consistently found the net at the club level, scoring 10-plus goals in each of his previous three seasons with Milan.
Meanwhile, Pulisic was excluded from the USMNT roster for upcoming friendlies in late September and early October. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino selected 12 uncapped players alongside 13 members of the summer’s World Cup squad, emphasizing the friendlies as an opportunity to evaluate expanded talent pools and implement a new strategic direction in the post-World Cup period.
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