Christian Pulisic scored a late winner for AC Milan on Saturday thanks to a fantastic assist from U.S. men's national team teammate Yunus Musah.
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Pulisic scores late winnerMusah with the assistMilan win 1-0
Milan emerged victorious from a chaotic match against Genoa that saw one late winner and red cards for goalkeepers on both sides. By the end of it, though, it was Pulisic that was the hero, with Musah teeing him up for the game's only goal that could be massive in the title race.
Pulisic's goal came in the 87th minute, kickstarting a series of events that led to Olivier Giroud having his own heroic moment as he made several key plays as fill-in goalkeeper to help AC Milan preserve a win no one at the stadium will ever forget.
GettyWHAT HAPPENED?
Prior to the 87th minute, Milan looked destined to leave Genoa with a drab draw. Even with Pulisic and Rafael Leao in the match as second-half substitutes, Milan never quite got going for nearly the entirety of the match.
That was until Musah floated a cross into the box in the game's final moments, allowing Pulisic to create his moment of magic and win all three points.
The goal wasn't without controversy, as both sides waited on a VAR review after celebrations subsided. Pulisic, though, was deemed to have controlled the ball off his chest, not his hand, as the goal stood.
That was only the start of the chaos, though, as, in stoppage time, AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan was sent off with a straight red card for a collision outside of the box. Olivier Giroud was forced in goal, as Genoa hit the ensuing free kick off the crossbar.
In the ensuing scramble, though, Genoa goalkeeper Josep Martinez earned a dismissal of his own, making him the second goalkeeper to be sent off in the match. In the end, though, Milan were able to hold on, with Giroud making a late save before being mobbed by teammates in celebration.
With the win, Milan go top of the league, two points ahead of rivals Inter and four points ahead of Juventus, who sit in third.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Pioli went with a clearly-rotated side, with his go-to front three of Pulisic, Leao and Giroud all left on the bench after all three started in the draw with Borussia Dortmund midweek.
Musah, though, retained his place as the American has slowly been building his way into Pioli's starting XI. The ex-Valencia star has started three of the club's last five games and appeared as a substitute in the other two.
Milan are dealing with injuries in the midfield as Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Rade Krunic and Ismael Bennacer are all out, so it'll be up to Musah to retain his place as that unit moves closer to full fitness. His assist will surely help though.
As for Pulisic, that's now four goals on the season for the American, who continues to shine in Serie A. He's essentially indispensable now as he continues to be a match-winner for his new club.
GettyUSMNT IMPACT
The upcoming camp will be a big one for Musah, so the USMNT will be glad to see him playing significant minutes on the club level.
Tyler Adams will once again be out for the international break, as the Bournemouth star is dealing with a reaggravated hamstring injury that will seemingly keep him out for some time. As a result, the U.S. will be without their primary No. 6, putting further pressure on Musah and Weston McKennie without the A in the MMA midfield.
Gregg Berhalter could opt to invert the midfield by playing a No. 10 with Musah and McKennie as the two deep-lying midfielders. He could also play a No. 6 like Luca de la Torre, Johnny Cardoso or newcomer Lennard Maloney behind them.
Either way, Musah getting minutes, and contributing, is great news for the U.S., both in the short-term ahead of this camp and in the long-term as the 20-year-old midfielder continues his development as a player.
GettyGOAL'S RATINGS
Yunus Musah (7/10):
It was all about the assist, as Musah played a magnificent ball in for Pulisic on the match-winning sequence. Before that, Musah was solid enough in the Milan midfield, although he did walk the line after getting a yellow card.
Christian Pulisic (8/10):
Came into the game and created some moments of danger, including one that was blocked away. He did get his goal, though, with a fantastic bit of skill to kickstart all of the chaos that followed.