Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic has been recorded performing a heartwarming gesture upon his return to the United States for the Blues’ pre-season tour after defeat to Charlotte FC.
Thomas Tuchel’s side fell to defeat on penalties despite Pulisic netting a first-half opener against the MLS side as the ball fell into his path following Michy Batshuayi’s blocked and deflected strike at goal.
Daniel Rios scored a stoppage time penalty before the Americans came out victorious in the shoot-out, with Conor Gallagher’s awful miss seeing the Blues lose 5-3 on spot kicks.
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Returning to the United States, Pulisic’s home country, the winger admitted that it felt special to be back Stateside.
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"It has been nice,” he said.
“I was able to spend some time in the summer and now to meet up with the team in the States was great for me. Being able to show them round is nice."
The 23-year-old continued to admit that the match was a good test for Chelsea, who were surprised by the North Carolina outfit.
He continued: "I think we're still starting up our season, it's our second game together. We're still working on some things. I thought we had some good moments. They really surprised us.
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“Penalties, anything can happen.
"I'm pleased of course. There's some moments I feel I can be even better but I'm happy with the goal.
"I'm feeling sharp but I still have more levels to go to. I'm looking forward to continuing to grind and get better."
Pulisic went out of his way after the match to perform an excellent gesture for the fans in the stadium.
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As recorded by FC Series, Pulisic stayed on the pitch after the match to sign autographs for every fan who was gesturing to him at full-time, despite Chelsea losing the match.
The locals got to see Pulisic at his best ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the USMNT will face off against Pulisic’s Chelsea teammates Mason Mount, Ben Chilwell, Reece James and Raheem Sterling in the group stages.
The Blues conclude their tour of the States when they face Arsenal in Florida on Sunday morning (UK) before returning to Cobham.
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Tuchel’s side will then play one final pre-season match against Udinese in Italy before facing Everton on the first day of the Premier League season on 6 August..
Chelsea will be hoping to challenge at the top end of the table once more, looking to close the gap to Manchester City and Liverpool, having finished 19 points behind Pep Guardiola’s champions last season.
Topics: Chelsea, Christian Pulisic, Football, United States
Nick Emms