USMNT Tracker: Tyler Adams signs off on high but Christian Pulisic misses out on Champions League – The Athletic
The Athletic has live coverage of the USMNT roster announcement for the 2026 World Cup.
Christian Pulisic couldn’t save Milan’s Champions League hopes, but Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie had a happier season ending, while Auston Trusty secured more silverware for Celtic.
Welcome to this week’s USMNT Player Tracker.
Pulisic and Milan miss out on Champions League… again
Not with a bang but a whimper. That was how Milan’s season concluded, and although Christian Pulisic tried his best to change that, it also sums up the end to what started as a highly promising campaign for him.
He was on the bench. Again. For the last three Serie A fixtures of the season, as Milan have fought to make the Champions League next term, the 27-year-old American forward has been among the substitutes.
Pulisic got 31 minutes against Sassuolo, missed the defeat by Atalanta with a glute muscle strain, played 14 minutes against Genoa (enough to register an assist) and in a game the Rossoneri needed to win to clinch fourth place, he came on at 46 minutes for the second half.
Ultimately, Milan could not hang on to a second-minute lead through Alexis Saelemaekers’ goal, and Cagliari came back at the San Siro to win 2-1. Pulisic battled gamely to make the difference. He had the joint-most touches (seven) in the opposition box, and completed the joint-most dribbles (three), according to Opta.
Christian Pulisic was dynamic and direct when he came off the bench against Cagliari (Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
But with none of the strikers around him firing, and Pulisic equally unable to find a way through, Milan did not test the visitors enough. With Como winning their final game, it meant Milan dropped into fifth place and missed out on Champions League qualification for a second consecutive season.
Clubs the size of Milan, and players of Pulisic’s ability, should be in Europe’s top competition. But the table never lies, and neither does the personal tally table, which shows Pulisic started the season on fire with 10 goals in all competitions, then plummeted at the turn of the year. In terms of numbers, he did not score in the second half of the season and managed two assists to take his creative haul for the campaign to four.
It is a drought that has been much-mentioned in this column and beyond. Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri has offered some mitigation, pointing out that his player has been sacrificed positionally, struggled with injuries and has not always been on the same page as team-mate Rafael Leao.
Pulisic reacts during the match against Cagliari (Piero Cruciatti / AFP via Getty Images)
So what does it mean for the summer? Well, let’s look for some positives. The international team’s MVP will at least be fresher than he might have been if he had been starting every game in the run-in.
Pulisic will also be arriving for the World Cup feeling a little kicked, a little irked, and perhaps aware his doubters have had fresh fuel this year. It might yield a fiery response to prove them wrong once more.
If that fire is burning ever brighter, then coming on top of the obvious motivation of a home soil World Cup, the USMNT should be set to see the best of their star player after a year to forget for his club.
McKennie signs off strongly after impressive season
Other players who seem set for Mauricio Pochettino’s roster had better final weekends of the season with their clubs.
Weston McKennie’s importance to the USMNT midfield has only been increased by the absence of Tanner Tessmann in the squad, meaning the Texan’s famed flexibility may be vital if he is to play in the double pivot midfield role next to Tyler Adams.
McKennie signed off a campaign in which he showed his worth for Juventus time and again — earning a new contract along the way — by impressing in their 2-2 draw at Torino.
Weston McKennie had an impressive season with Juventus (Marco Bertorello / AFP via Getty Images)
He played at right wing-back, and his 2025-26 numbers were strong. In 3,921 minutes for the Turin side in all competitions, he scored nine goals with eight assists. However, there was no Champions League qualification for Juve either — not what is expected at the Allianz Arena — and McKennie will join Pulisic in next season’s Europa League.
But on a personal level, the 27-year-old has proven his own doubters in Italy wrong, once more, and will report for World Cup duty in good form and confidence.
Adams secures European football
Injuries have meant Adams could not replicate quite those levels of influence in the Premier League with Bournemouth. But he signed off on a high in his team’s closing day 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest. The result was enough to secure Adams and his team-mates a sixth-place finish and deserved Europa League football next season.
Adams used all his experience playing in his defensive-midfield role next to the 20-year-old Hungarian Alex Toth, making only his second start of the campaign. The American was a steadying influence and got about the pitch with plenty of energy. He had the most defensive contributions of any other player (17) according to Opta.
Adams is another in the ‘golden-age’ 27-years-old-plus bracket who will come into the World Cup at a good moment.
Trusty wins domestic double
Moments can’t get much better for Auston Trusty in Glasgow either. After he helped Celtic to the Premiership title last weekend, he played his part again on Saturday as Martin O’Neill’s team lifted the Scottish Cup at Hampden Park.
Trusty started and played the entirety of a 3-1 win over Dunfermline to receive another medal and finish the campaign full of belief.
What’s coming up this week?
See if Chris Richards can make a remarkably quick recovery from an ankle injury to return for Crystal Palace in their Europa Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday (3pm, Paramount +).
