Christian Pulisic Is Better Than Jack Harrison, But Not By Much
- Thread starter FredMertz
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I love Jack, but I think it is tough to overlook the fact that Pulisic is doing it against much better competition, both in terms of the Bundesliga and in terms of getting into the team at Dortmund. Plus, he's 22 months younger than Jack which feels significant at that age. Maybe I'm unfairly penalizing Jack for the fact that he is playing in MLS, but my guess is that there a fairly decent gap between them.
None of this, however, takes away from the amount of joy that watching Jack do it in MLS gives me. While I'd love to see him here for years to come, I also hope he gets a shot at a higher level if that is ultimately what he wants and will root like hell for him to tear up a European league.
None of this, however, takes away from the amount of joy that watching Jack do it in MLS gives me. While I'd love to see him here for years to come, I also hope he gets a shot at a higher level if that is ultimately what he wants and will root like hell for him to tear up a European league.
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dannd23
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It is not close. Not at all. Jack is a great player in MLS, but Christian Pulisic, at 22 months younger, is a great player in the Bundesliga. Pulisic is faster, a better dribbler, his work rate is bananas, and his vision and movement off the ball is insane. I think they are about maybe about equal when it comes to finishing.
None of those are knocks on Jack. Pulisic is the most talented soccer player the US has ever had.
None of those are knocks on Jack. Pulisic is the most talented soccer player the US has ever had.
Yes. Yes it is.
I was going to humblebrag about my very expensive seats, but I see that that's been covered by others already numerous times.
You could bitch about your moderately priced seats. I'm the only one on that tip it seems.
Play the cards you have, accept the burdens of the context in which you came from, enjoy the privileges, and don't worry about either one of them.
Probably, but Ethan White and / or Brillant would get abused.
Villa should still be playing for Spain, frankly.
Maxi would get time.
Matarrita could compete, but Villafana is more useful internationally because he's smarter. Ring could get a look, but even Acosta doesn't start for the US, and he's outperformed Ring this year. So basically, they would be 40 man gold Cup roster options. Although I prefer Ring to Bradley, because Bradley sucks.
Chanot is a very strong MLS centerback. He's not in the same solar system as Cameron or Brooks, and doesn't have half the resume of Hedges, Gonzo or Besler. Herrera would be in the same boat as EPB now.
Fake Jew
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Mata would definitely start over Villafana.
Not for me, he wouldn't. Not even close. How long have you been watching MLS/Villafana/NYC? Not a criticism, but a legit question.
Matarrita isn't mature enough to check back. I can give you a dozen examples. He's Joevin Jones. So yeah, T&T mainstay.
ETA: let me add more here about all of this. Yeah, I bash the US and our NYC players. But acting like our salary capped club has 8-10 guys who would walk into an international team who has been in the knockout rounds more regularly than all but 8 or so other teams in the world is nuts.
dannd23
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Villa would start. The rest are bench players at best. Ring probably not making the game day squads. Matarrita would back up Villafana until Mata learns to track back.
Chanot could start if he wasn't at a loaded position for the US.
Herrera maybe in the future but not yet. Jack would maybe be a starter in a few years but right now he is at best the B squad.
Edit: I see Midas addressed this. But in a hypothetical where the players you mentioned were key players and we put out a formation like this:
-------------Villa-----Wood---------------
---Nagbe--------Moralez----------- Pulisic
--------------Herrera-----Ring-----------
Mata-----Chanot--------Brooks--------Yedlin
-------------------Howard----------------------
Not terrible actually, but our two defensive midfielders would get abused and Moralez would be broken in half in CONCACAF.
ferrarinycfc
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ive followed Pulisic for a few years now, this kid has the tools to have a tremendous career.
Right now, Mata is one of the worst starting defenders in MLS defensively. He needs to improve from one of the worst to moderately defensively aware to supplement his offensive prowess enough to start over V'fana.
It's a good question to ask which of our players would start for or otherwise make a USA 23. I think it is a short list.
Villa starts.
Jack and Mata make the team and maybe start (Jack for Nagbe).
Maxi maybe makes the team. Hererra maybe makes the team.
That is it.
ETA: I was watching the T&T game with my 9YO son. I was explaining the difference in quality between the two sides. How the USA had starters composed almost entirely of players that play or have played in one of the top leagues in Europe. That's true of 2 of our players, while the USA have guys in those leagues that don't make the 23.
EPL: Dempsey, Altidore, Cameron, Yedlin, Howard, Guzan
BL: Wood, Pulisic, Johnson, Brooks
Serie A: Bradley
France: Bedoya
Villa starts.
Jack and Mata make the team and maybe start (Jack for Nagbe).
Maxi maybe makes the team. Hererra maybe makes the team.
That is it.
ETA: I was watching the T&T game with my 9YO son. I was explaining the difference in quality between the two sides. How the USA had starters composed almost entirely of players that play or have played in one of the top leagues in Europe. That's true of 2 of our players, while the USA have guys in those leagues that don't make the 23.
EPL: Dempsey, Altidore, Cameron, Yedlin, Howard, Guzan
BL: Wood, Pulisic, Johnson, Brooks
Serie A: Bradley
France: Bedoya
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Regarding Pulisic.
What's really impressive is if you look at his minutes, he spent more than 2x as much time in a fairly defensive oriented wide mid/wingback role, only getting most of his time in a true attacking role when Reus was out or there was some other rotation.
Impressive on two fronts - contributing so much from that role and being mature enough to be charged with and handle the role changes so seamlessly.
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