Christian Pulisic has made a storming start to life at AC Milan… but how are the other three US stars who ply their trade in Italy faring?

• Weston McKennie and George Weah are reportedly being played out of position 
• Read more: AC Milan looked vulnerable in their disastrous derby defeat to Inter

After just seven games in Serie A it has become clear to see that stars of the USMNT are taking a leading role in Italian soccer. 

The first American athlete to make his debut in the Italian top flight was Alexi Lalas of Padova, but hardly any memory in Europe remains for the player who today is better known for his ability to compose country music than his defending.

Now, thanks to the improvements in US football development, many American players are now playing at the top level of the Italian league.

Christian Pulisic is certainly the player who has had the best impact in Serie A both in terms of goals, and adapting to the slower pace of Italian football.

The former Chelsea star’s Premier League career was plagued by physical and psychological ordeals, but he has remained a top player of great technical value. 

Christian Pulisic of AC Milan in action during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Lazio

The American ‘Magic Box’ is the clone of Gianfranco Zola, covers all areas of the attack and manages to hit defenses with dangerous insertions thanks to his dynamism. 

Without muscular problems today he would be one of the five most important stars of English soccer but he must be content with having become Milan’s point of reference in just seven games.

In the Bundesliga at Borussia Dortmund he learned tactical discipline and only a few years ago seemed destined to enter the list of possible winners of the Ballon d’Or. 

He is the most representative player in American soccer and today he is experiencing one of the best moments in Serie A with seven appearances, three goals, one assist and above all – zero injuries. 

If the physiotherapists and athletic training staff manage to preserve his crystal muscles, Pulisic will once again become the formidable player admired in the Bundesliga.

‘Flop’ Allegri is destroying George Weah

USA’s Timothy Weah celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the 2022 World Cup

He arrived in Italy to the delight of Juventus fans but now risks experiencing a period of weakness due to Massimiliano Allegri’s tactical obsessions. 

George Weah Jr. is a real talent, gifted with impressive speed and high-level individual technique. He had been bought to play as a winger but today he has become the reserve of another American, Weston McKennie, who plays as a midfielder which Allegri has transformed into the role of box-to-box right back. 

According to Allegri’s ideas, Weah Jr. is a pure winger who is ill-suited to the 3-5-2. 

It has become an aspect much criticized by the fans, with some discontent also on the part of the club which spent 12 million euros in the summer on the young talent who had enjoyed high-level seasons at Lille.

Weah is only 23 years old and never played in midfield before meeting Allegri at Juventus. At PSG and Celtic in Scotland, Timothy was a striker but the few goals he scored caused him to revert to the role of attacking winger even though in Lille he was also tried out as an attacking full-back. 

The next few weeks will be decisive in understanding what his tactical future will be.

McKennie’s father complains about son’s tactical role

Juventus and the USA’s Weston McKennie in action against Lecce at the Allianz Stadium

McKennie’s father attacked Allegri on social media on Sunday night and told him how Juventus should play in midfield. 

This news would be enough to make it clear that McKennie’s return was so positive that it sparked controversy over the best position to put the former Leeds player in order to achieve better results. 

According to ‘Fanpage’ this type of tactical attention from McKennie’s father is concrete proof of Juventus’ tactical problems.

The reason why the former Schalke 04 is constantly chosen is that McKennie gives greater guarantees in defence, effectively becoming the fifth defender, interpreting both phases of the game in the best possible way.

Musah a powerhouse super-sub for AC Milan 

AC Milan’s Yunus Musah runs with the ball during their Champions League match vs Newcastle

Yunus Musah is a talent for the American national team, with whom he played 29 matches, and since this summer he has become a key player for AC Milan. 

After Pulisic, Stefano Pioli’s club decided to buy Musah to strengthen the midfield and to offer more tactical solutions to the coach. 

Physically strong and disruptive in his progressions, Musah has already won numerous physical tackles, becoming Milan’s twelfth player during each match. 

Born in 2002, he is a millennial who is still immature but who, like other players who have moved to Italy, can become a top player by playing in clubs with great ambitions.

Musah is considered a wild card and his main technical quality is physical strength. 

In a very technical and not very muscular midfield, his presence is considered fundamental because it enriches the less tactical sector of the Rossoneri team in terms of solidity. 

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