‘Maybe the best’ – Pulisic full of confidence ahead of Copa America after Milan season | OneFootball

Christian Pulisic believes that he is entering the 2024 Copa America in the form of his life after a brilliant season with his new club AC Milan.

Pulisic is a very strong candidate not just for the best summer signing at Milan but also the player of the season in general after an outstanding debut campaign in Serie A in which he racked up 15 goals and 11 assists across all competitions.

It comes after a difficult end to his spell at Chelsea in which he had lost his way a bit in terms of confidence and was looking for the right club to relaunch. Now, he goes into the Copa America with the United States with the hope of continuing to be a difference make.

In fact, Pulisic got his name on the scoresheet for the USA on Wednesday night as they drew 1-1 against Brazil in their final friendly before the competition kicks off, netting a cheeky free-kick.

Pulisic did an interview with Goal a few days before the USA get their tournament underway on home soil and he spoke about a number of different topics from his start to life at Milan to his hopes with the national team.

How are you?

“I appreciate the question, to be honest. When you start doing interviews all the time you get similar questions. You can kind of go into that interview mode.

“I think I just kind of give the same old boring answers, but I think it’s important to ask questions and it’s important to get people, I don’t know, talking about things that actually are interesting to them.

“My whole life is soccer all the time, and that’s all people want to know about. It’s normal, I get that’s what you want to ask about. That’s what’s happening. That’s what that’s what we’re known for.

“I guess I’m a pretty private person, so I wouldn’t say that I want people to know more about me like, say Tyler [Adams] and Weston [McKennie] obviously do. I’m OK with people not knowing anything about me, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not good to ask sometimes about how other people are.”

Would you say you are in a good place at the moment?

“From a soccer standpoint, everyone looks and, yeah, individually pretty good season, but I will say, yeah, away from the game I’m doing really well, maybe the best I ever have.

“I’m feeling like I’m in a good place. I’m excited to be back in the States for a bit. I’ve been seeing a lot of family and friends and just enjoying time in the country.”

Are you ready for the Copa America?

“Depending on how your season goes, you always – and I learned to improve on this – but you can put too much of your emotion on that. Can I enjoy myself this summer? Should I feel good going into it or is it just like, ‘It was a failure and you need to do this’?

“I think it’s important, no matter what happens, to just save yourself and put the game aside and go home with a good attitude and just try to relax and rest, see the people that you love.”

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You shared a residency programme with Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Haji Wright and Luca de la Torre, who are all in the squad…

“It’s incredible, right? I’ve talked about just how close I am with this team. It’s stories like that that just show that. Obviously, I’ve known Weston for so long and Tyler as well and we’ve just become like brothers.

“Coming into every camp, it just feels normal. It’s nice playing with guys like that. They have your back and you have their back always. We know when it’s time to get serious but just having these guys around to mess around with, just your boys, it’s pretty cool.”

Does it make you feel better that you’re doing the journey together?

“It’s super important. It’s great. We go through things and we’re always talking to each other regularly throughout the season and of course when here. There’s really nothing better.”

And how is Christian Pulisic doing these days?

“This season, all the soccer aside, I’m just happy to be here. I’m happy to be with the national team and then get some time off after and enjoy that. I’m definitely feeling in a good place going into the summer.

“Being back with the national team, with some of my boys like we talked about, I’m definitely feeling good and optimistic about things that are coming up.”