US star Pulisic once played with Gakpo at PSV: ‘And then came Dortmund’

• Franklin Stocker

  Publisher NOS Sport

If you say LeBron James, you say basketball. And when you think of Tom Brady, you think of American football. Chelsea footballer Christian Pulisic is on his way to achieving the same status as his iconic American football compatriots. And oh yes, he has already played with Cody Gakpo.

For more on his connection to Gakpo later, let’s first see who will face Denzel Dumfries and Daley Blind on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. as “wingbacks” when the Netherlands face the United States for a place in World Cup quarter-final. Pulisic, 24, is an invaluable winger for Team USA as a winger.

Just think of his winning goal against Iran (1-0), helping the United States in the next round. Pulisic paid for his goal with a pelvic contusion after colliding with the Iranian goalkeeper.

He was in a lot of pain afterwards, but after a visit to the hospital it became clear that the Orange showdown was doable for him.

But who is this Chelsea footballer who, with his appearance, could appear in a boy band or an American teen movie?

Pulisic, born in Hershey, Pennsylvania, combines technique and persistence and occasionally scores his goal. A nimble type that is difficult to play. Orange’s defense has therefore been warned.

The introverted Pulisic is someone you don’t often see doing crazy things, both on and off the court. “Lead by example”, as the footballer himself says: let your feet do the talking.

Pulisic is 24 but already has 55 international appearances to his name. Add to that 127 meetings with Borussia Dortmund and 133 games with Chelsea and it will come as no surprise that he is already a great gentleman in his own country.

Since his transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea in 2019, he is also the most expensive North American footballer (64 million euros).

US national coach Gregg Berhalter played in the Netherlands at PEC Zwolle, Sparta Rotterdam and SC Cambuur. In Sparta, they still know him well.

Pulisic left for Germany in 2015 as a fifteen-year-old footballer but was close to joining PSV’s youth academy. Pulisic went on trial twice with the Eindhoven club in 2013 and 2014.

Rini de Groot, then already PSV’s chief youth scout, was immediately sold when he let Pulisic train with the Under-13s for a week.

“We had a really great class with Cody Gakpo, Armando Obispo and Jordan Teze among others. Christian could easily keep up with the level,” De Groot said. “He was a fantastic guy. Introverted, but he could play football well.”

In May 2013, Pulisic will also join the PSV youth team at the prestigious and international Marveld youth tournament in Groenlo, Gelderland, which also includes youth teams from Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, for example. There, Pulisic immediately impressed with a number of goals.

Even more impressed than Gakpo, recalls De Groot. “Cody was often decisive in his youth, but he was going through some growing pains back then, so it was difficult for him to show his best game during that time.”

But they were once on the pitch together: current World Cup stars Pulisic and Gakpo, together on a pitch in Groenlo, Gelderland.

PSV were enthusiastic and Pulisic was allowed to return six months later for a second internship. De Groot had seen enough and then pulled out all the stops to bring in Pulisic. “He was eligible for a Croatian passport (his grandfather is Croatian, editor’s note), which allowed him to play with us at the age of 16.”

PSV prepared everything to bring in then 14-year-old Pulisic. A host family was found and tailor-made education was even considered. “Only his passport application took longer and longer and then Borussia Dortmund came into the picture,” says De Groot.

Germany’s top club probably put Pulisic on the radar through some lobbying from the player’s agent or an observant German scout, who may have been present at Groenlo.

“It actually became a hopeless story when Borussia Dortmund came on the scene,” says John de Jong, who was working as a head scout at PSV at the time and would later become the club’s technical director.

“This club is so strong financially and also has a good reputation for developing young players. You can hardly compete with that. It was a shame for us, but a logical choice from his point of view.”

According to De Groot, there was another factor that played against PSV. “Dortmund promised Christian’s father a job as a youth coach. PSV couldn’t offer that, because it’s something that goes against our principles: no parents of players in the technical staff. Then it gets way too close.”