Pulisic feeling 'very good and prepared' for WC

AL-RAYYAN, Qatar -- Christian Pulisic has said it is simply a "dream" to beryllium astatine a World Cup -- 1 that was cruelly delayed 5 years agone connected a waterlogged tract successful Trinidad arsenic the U.S. failed to suffice for the 2018 World Cup.

The 2-1 nonaccomplishment to Trinidad & Tobago connected the last time of qualifying chopped heavy for Pulisic, and the photograph of him hunched down, his fingers dug into his eyes aft the last whistle remains indelible. Now arsenic the U.S. hole for their opening crippled against Wales on Monday, Pulisic is acceptable to get started.

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"It's unreal for maine to beryllium present astatine a World Cup," helium said aft Wednesday's grooming session. "Just the full feeling to beryllium with these guys to play connected the biggest stage. You know, it's been a imagination of excavation my full life, truthful I'm conscionable precise excited to beryllium here."

Pulisic is nary alien to large moments. This is simply a antheral with a UEFA Champions League winner's medal connected his résumé aft all. But helium besides understands that the World Cup is thing peculiar and that the accidental is determination to marque an indelible impression.

"I consciousness similar I've played successful immoderate large games. I've accomplished a lot. I've done a batch of things," Pulisic said. "But what I privation to bash with the World Cup is thing connected apical of each of that. It's thing erstwhile I was a kid successful Pennsylvania increasing up, 5 to 10 years old, that's each I thought astir was the World Cup."

With respect to the unit to perform, Pulisic said helium "didn't spot it arsenic a load astatine all." But he's besides not wholly immune either, particularly present that he's astir to play connected 1 of the sport's biggest stages.

"All those emotions and worldly that you're not acceptable for, it ever hits you. It hits you, and you consciousness it," helium said. "You consciousness the large moments coming each day. Laying successful furniture astatine night, erstwhile it gets a time closer, you consciousness it a small spot more, truthful that's however it goes."

He added: "I cognize I tin flooded those feelings and bring retired hopefully my champion enactment retired connected the field. So that's the goal."

Pulisic's play with Chelsea this play has been dissected from the infinitesimal the run began. Every clip helium was stuck connected the Blues' bench, the anxiousness wrong the U.S. instrumentality basal rose. He adjacent underwent a managerial alteration backmost successful September, with Graham Potter replacing the fired Thomas Tuchel.

As a consequence, Pulisic has lone 1 extremity and 1 assistance successful 13 appearances, 3 of them starts. But helium insists he's feeling adjacent to his best.

"I consciousness large close now," helium said. "My form's really been truly bully successful caller weeks I feel. So I've gotten immoderate games in, [I'm] continuing to enactment determination and improving myself there, and honestly, I consciousness truly beardown and precise bully and prepared going into this."

Pulisic besides understands that the World Cup is an accidental not lone for him to amusement his champion but besides to alteration the cognition of the U.S. team. The Americans person tended to bash good successful World Cups, reaching the knockout stages 3 retired of the past 4 times they've qualified. Yet the squad is perceived -- with sizeable justification -- arsenic inactive being beneath the apical nationalist teams successful the world.

When asked whether determination is thing the satellite gets incorrect successful its presumption of the U.S. team, Pulisic said: "I don't deliberation it's needfully what they get wrong. I deliberation we person to beryllium ourselves. We haven't been possibly astatine the level of immoderate of these satellite powerhouses successful caller decades.

"We've had bully teams with a batch of hearts and minds, but I deliberation we tin instrumentality it to that adjacent step. With a palmy World Cup, I deliberation that tin alteration a batch of things."