Christian Pulisic’s origin story has many potential starting points, stretching from bucolic Pennsylvania Dutch Country to a hard court in England to Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth soccer academy. Bradenton, Florida, wouldn’t be a poor opener, nor would Dortmund, Germany.
But let’s start in Detroit, where Pulisic moved when he was eight years old so that his father, Mark, could coach the Detroit Ignition of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Hanging out with his father’s players, many of them Brazilian, young Christian was shown moves and tricks, like a creative way to lift the ball when starting to juggle.