ARLINGTON, Tex. — Back in the Golden Boy days, when Christian Pulisic’s voice was gentle and his thick, dark hair always kempt, there were times when he would defer.
He was already the face of the U.S. men’s national team as a teenager. But when he first tugged on a captain’s armband, at age 20, he “didn’t really know what to do.” So he tried to lead by example, which can sometimes be euphemistic for not really leading at all. He would often cede the floor and responsibility to USMNT elders, in part out of respect, in part because he was an introverted young adult still trying to find his place in the world.