New on Sports Illustrated: Christian Pulisic Becomes Third USMNT Player to Feature in Champions League Semifinals

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Christian Pulisic joins Tyler Adams and DaMarcus Beasley in an exclusive group.

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Christian Pulisic joined exclusive company on Tuesday with his appearance for Chelsea in the Champions League semifinals, becoming just the third U.S. men's national team player to feature on such a lofty stage.

Pulisic joined Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig, 2020) and DaMarcus Beasley (PSV Eindhoven, 2005) with his showing vs. Real Madrid in the first leg of their semifinal clash. He joins Beasley as the only U.S. players to start a semifinal match, as Adams came off the bench for Leipzig vs. PSG last season following his heroic goal in the quarterfinals that clinched the club's place in the final four.

Pulisic's appearance comes nearly 16 years to the day Beasley started vs. AC Milan in a series that PSV ultimately lost on the away-goal tiebreaker. Pulisic will hope for a different fate, which could present him with the opportunity to become the first American to play in a Champions League final. Jovan Kirovski was part of Borussia Dortmund's Champions League-winning team in 1997, but he did not feature for the club that deep in its title run.

Pulisic has endured an up-and-down season at Chelsea, one beset by injuries and then required him to win back his place under Tuchel, who was the coach that gave him his first-team break when the two were together at Dortmund. He's rounded into form recently, with three goals in his last six appearances, including a pair against Crystal Palace in Premier League play on April 10.

"I feel very confident in my body and fitness level at the moment," Pulisic said Monday in his prematch comments. "I have played a string of games. I had some time out in the past year and a bit. It is really just about taking care of my body and putting myself in the best position to be available for every game. I feel good about that right now."

He has one goal in the Champions League this season, which came against Krasnodar in the group stage. His most impactful Champions League goal in his brief career came in the 2017 knockout stage, when he helped Dortmund get by Benfica in the round of 16.

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