Pulisic one of the most unsettling players I've seen – Martino

Gerardo Martino knows Mexico must stop USA's Christian Pulisic if they are to win the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Published : Jul 07, 2019 17:49 IST

USA star Christian Pulisic scored twice in the semifinal.
USA star Christian Pulisic scored twice in the semifinal.
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USA star Christian Pulisic scored twice in the semifinal.

Mexico head coach Gerardo Martino said United States star Christian Pulisic is "one of the most unsettling players" he has seen ahead of Sunday's CONCACAF Gold Cup final.

All eyes will be on Pulisic when defending champion USA and rivals Mexico meet in the tournament decider at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Pulisic – set to link up with Premier League giant Chelsea after agreeing a €64million transfer from Borussia Dortmund in January – scored twice against Jamaica to send USA through to the final.

And Mexico boss Martino singled out Pulisic pre-game, praising the in-form 20-year-old attacker by telling reporters: "I think Christian Pulisic is one of the greatest emerging players in world football in this era, without doubt.

"He's one of the most unsettling players I've seen in recent times. And I believe that if tomorrow we don't give him special attention, above all when we are attacking, then we won't do well.

"He's a player we have to give a lot of attention because he can decide a game on his own."

Pulisic has scored three goals and registered as many assists during the Gold Cup and USA coach Gregg Berhalter added: "When I think about this month for him it’s been a lot of personal development in terms of him blossoming with his personality within the group, his importance to the team on the field.

"The skills haven't changed from a month ago, but in terms of his role, what he's comfortable with, how he's embracing his role within the team, and his role on and off the field, I think it's been really nice to see.

"The most important thing we've focused on is giving Christian flexibility, putting him in position where he could affect the game in a number of different ways. We wanted to play him central, but also get him wide. When you think about him being central, arriving in the penalty box, the two goals [against Jamaica] were a result of him being in good positions to be able to finish off plays that end up in front of goal. 

"When you think about some of the assists he’s had they've come in wide areas, notably against Curacao. With Christian we know he's a top talent and we want to get him into position to affect the game. We know he can affect the game on an individual level, and he's shown that so far in the tournament." 

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