A club champion, Pulisic yearns for World Cup stage
By RONALD BLUM
AP Sports Writer
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Christian Pulisic struggled in January, was played out of position by Chelsea and even was benched for a World Cup qualifier against Honduras. Now the first American to play in and win a Champions League final has boosted the United States to the cusp of a World Cup return with the first international hat trick of his career. He celebrated by doing the worm dance for a fan, earned a yellow card for dissent and crowned the night by sharing victory with his mom and dad. Now all the U.S. has to do to qualify for this November’s tournament in Qatar is to not lose by six goals or more at Costa Rica on Wednesday night.