At the young age of 19, Borrusia Dortmund and USMNT midfielder Christian Pulisic became the youngest player in the history to get voted the U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year. Landon Donovan previously held the record, getting the award in 2003 as a 21-year old.
He's just getting started.@cpulisic_10 is your 2017 #USMNT Player of the Year » https://t.co/Y3Do0CkrMr pic.twitter.com/8rcnBp6RdC
— U.S. Soccer MNT (@ussoccer_mnt) December 14, 2017
“I just want to thank everyone who voted for me to win U.S. Male Player of the Year,” – said Pulisic via a video posted on social media. “It’s something I never could have imagined, to be here in this position and I’m just really thankful to everyone who supported me along the way and I’m excited for the future.“
Very humbled to win @ussoccer_mnt Player of the Year. Thank You! pic.twitter.com/j5yx4XjJFj
— Christian Pulisic (@cpulisic_10) December 14, 2017
The 2017 U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year was voted by a large group of voters that included men’s national players and coaches, Major League Soccer head coaches, former players, administrators and media members. Pulisic received 94 percent of the votes.
This, however, shouldn’t be a surprise. In a year in which USMNT struggled and failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, Christian Pulisic was one of the few who managed to keep his performances on the satisfactory level. Although still a teenager, with his performances for the national team and Dortmund, he emerged as one of the most prominent and recognizable U.S. players.
“It’s something I would have never imagined. But it’s something I’ve had to deal with at a young age and I’m kind of coming to terms with it, where I stand with the team and in the U.S.,” – Pulisic told Fox Sports. “It’s something that I’m definitely still learning through and I have the best people to help me through it and yeah, definitely still learning but something I’m comfortable with.“
Pulisic proved to be very prolific for USMNT, scoring on nine occasions in 20 games. He was also involved in some way in the 13 of the 17 last goals the U.S. scored. He is also seeing an increased role in the Borussia Dortmund jersey, being a part of the squad 21 times and scoring three goals.
