Christian Pulisic is in the form of his life at AC Milan - now is the time to take the USMNT to new heights

Anything would have been better than Chelsea. When it became clear that Pulisic was on the move this summer, USMNT fans were ready to celebrate. Wherever he went, it couldn't be as bad as Stamford Bridge, where he'd been so often glued to the bench amid the institutional chaos running wild in London.

Few could have predicted how perfectly this move to Milan would work out, though. As we head into the final stages of this debut season in Italy, Pulisic's decision looks like a masterstroke.

He has racked up 12 goals and eight assists in 39 appearances in all competitions so far this season. Those 12 goals are more than any single-season total he had at Chelsea, and there are still a few months to go for Pulisic to run up those numbers.

His best run, though, has come over the last few weeks as he heads into USMNT camp on a hot streak. He's scored in four consecutive matches, two of which came in a two-legged Europa League win over Slavia Prague. His other recent victims have been Verona and Empoli, with the latter losing to Milan 1-0 thanks to Pulisic's goal.

"I'm enjoying it a lot," Pulisic says of life in Serie A. "It's been a good change of pace for me. I'm loving the Italian culture. I'm trying to soak it in. I'm doing the best I can with learning the language. I feel pretty good with all that stuff. I'm loving it so far."

The stats say that Pulisic is playing better than he's ever been, and much of that comes down to comfort and confidence.

Pulisic's Italian is coming along, says club and international teammate Yunus Musah, but it's going to be a while before he catches up to the midfielder when it comes to his linguistic skills. You can't blame Pulisic for that, though, as Musah spent part of his childhood in Italy.

"He's working really hard on his Italian and he's managed to learn quite a bit," Musah admits, giving Pulisic a bit of credit. "He really understands the manager now and our teammates. It's going to take him a little while, though, to get on my level!"

Pulisic adds: "I understand just about everything. They asked me if I could do my interviews in Italian the other day. I said they could ask the questions but I'll answer in English, but next time. I'm getting close, but I'm still not fluent at all."

All jokes aside, Pulisic's transition to Italy has been seamless. It took him virtually no time to claim a starting spot under Stefano Pioli, and he is yet to relinquish it. Given his recent run of form, it doesn't seem like he plans on doing so any time soon, either.

Only Olivier Giroud has scored more goals than him this season for Milan, while Giroud and Rafael Leao are the only two players with more assists than the American winger. There's been no grace period for Pulisic, who jumped right into Italian soccer and found out he can swim immediately.

"I'm really, really happy with the way I see Christian playing at the moment," Musah said. "He's scoring a lot of goals, affecting play a lot for our team. I'd say he's been our best attacking player this season at Milan, so I'm really happy for him. He's doing so well. He's enjoying it, as well, and having one of his best seasons. I'm really happy to see a fellow American do such things."

For the last few weeks, American soccer has watched on as Pulisic has torn up all in his path. The USMNT coaches have, obviously, been keeping an eye on him too, and they've been having a great time doing so.

"Us as coaches, we sit back from afar and have to watch these guys play in Europe each weekend," said assistant coach B.J. Callaghan. "It's great to watch them all in form. Christian specifically, it's great to see the variety of goals, the variety of the ways that he's impacting his team at Milan. I think he's doing it with goals, with assists, I think he's doing it on the defensive end for them, as well. He's having a really complete season."

Overall, the U.S. heads into this camp with players in varying levels of form. Gio Reyna and Tyler Adams, for example, haven't played much at all this season, though for very different reasons. Folarin Balogun is the attacking player that can probably use a confidence boost this time around, while Matt Turner also needs a lift after being benched at Nottingham Forest.

There are no concerns about Pulisic, though, who looks more than ready to lead from the front.

"Anytime you see players in form, Christian included, it brings great joy to all of us," Callaghan said. "We know that when they come into camp, there's going to be a high confidence level. Hopefully they can continue to do that and raise the standard as we continue to try to raise the standard of the national team."

It really is hard to believe that Pulisic is still only 25. He's still so young in the grand scheme of things, and that makes it feel like his USMNT career is really just getting started.

Pulisic, though, isn't the newcomer anymore. He hasn't been for quite a while. And, in this loaded CONCACAF Nations League squad, one that Gregg Berhalter said was among the deepest he's ever had with the program, Pulisic is the most-capped player.

"I've been so honored to be able to do this for a few years, but it never gets old," Pulisic says. Representing the USA, doing what I love, it's a blessing."

With 64 caps to his name, Pulisic is the most experienced player in this group. Tim Ream, 11 years his senior, is on his heels with 55, although there isn't really a scenario where the Fulham star ever catches up. Weston McKennie is there with 49 while Antonee Robinson is on 39, taking the third and fourth spots.

Pulisic is far and away the most experienced in the group, and is one of the few remaining who suffered through the heartbreak of the 2018 cycle. He was one of the key contributors that led to the USMNT's World Cup return in 2022. And, now on the road to 2026, he seems ready to take an even bigger step forward, if his club success is anything to go by.

It's already been a massive, massive year for Pulisic, but it really is just getting started. This CONCACAF Nations League run feels like tune-up for the summer, even if there is a trophy on the line. All roads lead to the Copa America, and the USMNT's hopes could very well rest on Pulisic's shoulders.

Tournaments are about stars who show up. Some are established, some are made, but more often than not, international tournaments are remembered thanks to the players that defined them.

Unfortunately for Pulisic, his big moment at the World Cup was cut short, as his vital goal against Iran came at the expense of his own health, forcing him out of the match as his team went on to win. Because of that, he will surely be desperate for another big-tournament moment. The world will be watching, for sure, as both Pulisic and the U.S. look to cement their place among the game's elite.

This U.S. team wants to be in that conversation. They aren't content being a World Cup last-16 team. The hope has always been that the USMNT can make a real run on home soil in 2026, proving that they can compete with the top national teams in the world.

For them to do so, Pulisic will likely need to take his place among the best players in the world. His time at Chelsea caused many to lose belief that he could get there, but even those doubters must be starting to believe again due to his dominance at Milan. There's still so much room for Pulisic to grow, and his time in Italy has given him the platform.

This summer, the stage will be his for a pivotal moment for American soccer, and he looks ready to step right into it, having spent so much of the last few years trying to find himself. This year, Pulisic has found his best version, and that's good news as the USMNT move into the most important years in this team's history.