“We didn’t find the right solutions,” said Christian Pulisic, ashen-faced and frustrated as he addressed the media to a backdrop of opposition euphoria in Rome.
At Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday night, the United States men’s national team star tried to drag his team back into a Coppa Italia final they had trailed to Bologna since Dan Ndoye’s 53rd-minute strike.
Pulisic scored and assisted in a vital Serie A win against the same opponents five days earlier, but couldn’t find the net when tasked with turning in Luka Jovic’s saved shot in the first half.
Later, with the clock ticking, he tried to go it alone, beating three defenders and zipping into the area but Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski foiled him before he could shoot.
Fourteen minutes later, his race was run, and head coach Sergio Conceicao replaced the American, perhaps with an eye on another key game back at the Olimpico against Roma on Sunday. At full time, the Bologna players, staff and supporters celebrated wildly.
So, no solutions for Milan on the night but a result that could leave one of their best players pondering other ways to solve an issue.
If Milan cannot beat Roma in two days, their chances of salvaging Champions League qualification will be over. Even victories in their final two games would leave Milan needing a staggering concoction of other results to go their way.
Even aside from the Champions League, Milan could miss out on European football altogether, with the Coppa Italia’s backdoor to reach the Europa League having closed and a current league position of eighth leaving even the Conference League a long shot.
Should they fail, Pulisic and those around him may ask the question: does he need to be playing at the highest level of club competition going into the World Cup year?
Pulisic will shoulder many of the USMNT’s hopes at the World Cup next summer. (Robin Alam / ISI Photos / Getty Images)
The Champions League is the place all top players want to be. Often, they move teams to get there and speak of those big nights competing against the elite of Europe as the peak of their careers.
Pulisic is no stranger to the biggest stage of all. He played the last 24 minutes of the 2021 final, helping Chelsea to beat Manchester City 1-0. That victory was the highlight of his nine separate seasons in the competition. The last two of those have been with Milan, and this year he scored four goals as his team exited in the revamped league phase.
But if Milan fail to qualify for the 2025-26 edition, he will not be honing his tools alongside the best of Europe. Will that affect his levels going into the World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico?
He will still likely remain a pivotal man for Milan, playing in one of Europe’s top leagues (the re-energized Italian top flight is arguably stronger than it has been in a long time, with Milan’s rivals Inter reaching the Champions League final and with two games to go are in a thrilling race with Napoli for the scudetto).
Sure, his morale may initially be dented by having to sit on the outside and potentially watch as compatriots Weston McKennie and Tim Weah play Champions League with Juventus (although even that is not certain). But Pulisic is professional and focused enough not to let that limit his motivation in a key year.
There is an argument that the 26-year-old might benefit from fewer minutes heading into 2026, something Mauricio Pochettino may ponder as he decides how much to call upon Pulisic this summer across friendly games and the Concacaf Gold Cup.
All this is assuming Pulisic remains a Milan player. There have been constant rumors the attacker has been close to signing a new contract at San Siro, but a deal has not yet been agreed and there may well be Champions League clubs interested in him this summer after his fine personal form during the team’s otherwise tumultuous campaign.
Bids may give him pause for thought, but there could be something to be said for staying put. Top players may want to be in the top competitions, but international managers prioritize consistent minutes for their stars.
Often, the USMNT debate while Pulisic was in and out of the Chelsea team centered on whether he needed to be playing every week, and in a side where he had a responsibility that mirrored his pivotal role with the national team.
He has that at Milan, unchanged across three different managers since he arrived, where he is consistently counted on to deliver. It may not have worked against silverware-starved Bologna on Wednesday, but often he is Milan’s game-changer, charged with leading the side as he does his country.
Would he be better moving for the sake of the Champions League, to a club where he might have to start afresh in proving he can be a regular, or risk being considered a squad player? Unlikely.
Sergio Conceicao has failed to lift Milan into the Champions League places. (Alessandro Sabattini / Getty Images)
Pulisic would likely back himself, and his talent, to avoid that fate again but even if the San Siro is not the perfect example of stability, it has represented that to the player who burst onto the scene with Borussia Dortmund before feeling he was underused for some of his time at Stamford Bridge.
Whatever happens over the next two fixtures, and Milan are that unpredictable you could not quite fully rule out a dramatic late surge into fourth, Pulisic will have choices to make going into the summer.
Does he suck it up and hope Milan show the type of ambition in the transfer market that proves they will challenge for the Serie A title, or at least top four, next season?
Or does the lure of Champions League football, going into the biggest year of his professional life, mean he may need to search for pastures new?
Settling on the right solution will be essential for the contentment of the USMNT’s best player before 2026.
(Top photo: Alessandro Sabattini / Getty Images)
