By admin 
When Christian Pulisic took the pitch at halftime for AC Milan on Saturday, he was nothing short of a man on a mission.
The Serie A battle with Lazio marked Pulisic’s season debut, coming over three weeks into the new season-the 27-year-old was “upset” it hadn’t happened sooner, according to new manager Ruben Amorim.
It was also the first match Pulisic played since the U.S. men’s national team’s heartbreaking defeat to Belgium in the World Cup round of 16 this summer, a 4–1 thrashing that saw Pulisic exit before the hour-mark with an entirely-avoidable injury. The Stars and Stripes’ loss of their talisman-who somehow kicked the ankle of his opponent instead of the ball itself-was not only the nail in the coffin of an embarrassing bookend to an otherwise fairytale run, but perhaps a perfect metaphor for the woeful year the star winger had put together thus far.
Pulisic, who left the tournament with nothing but a bone bruise and micro-fracture in his leg, had entered the World Cup in career-worst form, goalless in 19 games with Milan dating back to 2025. He then racked up more injuries (two) than goal contributions (one) in a summer when American fans expected him to be nothing short of a hero. Needless to say, Pulisic has had something to prove for a while-a winding and arduous mission he may have just begun this weekend.
Pulisic Dazzles in Season Debut
Pulisic returned to health prior to the Rossoneri’s season opener on Aug. 23; however, he remained an unused substitute on the bench throughout the first three Serie A matches, replaced on the wing by 19-year-old Alphadjo Cissè.
“I’m managing him,” Amorim said of Pulisic after the first benching. “For now, Alpha is taking his place … We’re still managing the minutes of some players and trying to win the match. Sometimes it’s not just the technical and tactical aspects, it’s also the physical aspect.”
By the third benching, tensions had grown between the former Manchester United manager and his winger. “Pulisic is upset at the moment because he has zero minutes, and I love that,” Amorim said on Friday. “I love that in my players.”
Yet that fire inside of Pulisic’s belly wasn’t enough to automatically earn him a starting role in Milan’s fourth league match against Lazio. “It doesn’t matter if you are a top player, I don’t take [out] all the other guys who are doing well to put in any player in the world,” Amorim added. “That is my way of living.”
Yet Pulisic’s stellar performance on Saturday may prove enough to change Amorim’s mind.
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Pulisic was a creative force throughout the half and needed just 20 minutes to stamp his name on the game. The right winger ignited the play for Milan’s first goal by dishing a sneaky back-heeled pass to teammate Samuel Chukwueze in the center of the park, before dashing into the final third. He received the ball back just inside the box, before skillfully chipping it to the back post for an onrushing Diego Moreira, who buried it.
Diego Moreira goes BACK-TO-BACK for Milan
Brilliant work from Christian Pulisic for the first goal
Watch Serie A on @paramountpluspic.twitter.com/eZIKPX3P62
– CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 12, 2026
Despite his brief cameo, Pulisic ended the night with the most created chances (four) and proved integral for Milan’s late resurgence, ending the night with a 2–2 draw.
Pulisic will be keen to deliver a similar performance on Wednesday in Europa League play against Benfica, hopefully right from the opening whistle.
Although, a challenge the American has faced this year is consistency. For example, he put together an awe-inspiring first-half performance in the World Cup opener against Paraguay before falling flat throughout the rest of the tournament.
It remains to be seen whether or not Pulisic can continue to rewrite his woeful year.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Upset’ Christian Pulisic Makes Season Debut Determined to Rewrite His Woeful Year.
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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 10:00 AM.