Page 32 - bon-dia-aruba-20220329

A32 sports
Diamars 29 maart 2022

A club champion, Pulisic yearns for World Cup stage

(AP) — Christian Pulisic this was us saying to him,
looked like the weight of ‘This is a new group, this is a
millions of American soc- new team and you’re a leader’
cer fans had been lifted and we wanted to show that
from his shoulders. and we wanted to highlight
that. And I think when I look
The first American to play in at his performance, besides
and win a Champions League the three goals and the hat
final, Pulisic struggled in Jan- trick, everything else was in
uary, was played out of posi- line, everything else was ex-
tion by Chelsea and even was actly what we needed him to
benched for a World Cup do in terms of his work rate,
qualifier against Honduras. his effort, his energy, his in-
tensity and his leadership.”
Now he has boosted the
United States to the cusp of Pulisic already is tied for sev-
a World Cup return with the enth on the U.S. career scor-
first international hat trick of ing list with 21 goals. His Eu-
his career. He had fired up ropean club career is unparal-
his team, celebrated by do- leled for an American.
ing the worm dance for a fan,
earned a yellow card for dis- He was the eighth-young-
sent and crowned the night est player to debut in the
by sharing victory with his Bundesliga, at 17 years, 133
mom and dad. days when he first appeared
for Borussia Dortmund in
“The reason that tonight January 2016. Pulisic won the
meant so much is because 2017 German Cup, earned a
we want to be on the biggest big-money move to Chelsea
stage, playing in the World for the 2019-20 season and
Cup,” he said Sunday after won the Champions League
leading the U.S. over Panama qualify for this November’s the only other one on the last May and the Club World
5-1. tournament in Qatar is to field against Panama, scor- He is part of a new era of Cup in February.
not lose by six goals or more ing and assisting as part of the American soccer that left
On the very same field 4 at Costa Rica on Wednesday 17-touch sequence capped by home during high school But for all that he has achieved
1/2 years ago, Pulisic scored night. The Americans have Jesús Ferreira’s goal. and debuted for a big-name in black and yellow and then
the first goal and set up an- nine losses, one draw and no club in a big-time European blue, he longed for success in
other in a 4-0 victory over wins in qualifiers at Costa Pulisic converted a pair of league, with Weston McKen- the red-white-and-blue.
the Panamanians. Four days Rica, but they haven’t lost first-half penalty kicks, and nie and Gio Reyna following.
later he crouched on a field by six goals anywhere since a his 65th-minute strike was “I think it was a big night, of
in Trinidad, his World Cup 1979 friendly against France, exquisite. With his back to Pulisic was given the cap- course. I mean, scoring my
dream destroyed by a 2-1 loss and not in a competitive the goal, a spinning Pulisic tain’s armband for the eighth first hat trick with the na-
that upended the U.S. Soccer match since 1957 at Mexico. took a touch with his left time, matching Tyler Adams, tional team, I’m extremely
Federation from the presi- leg, spun around Fidel Es- also just 23. proud,” Pulisic said. “I just
dency down to the national Pulisic, a 23-year-old from cobar and dummied the ball really want to play in a World
team staff and roster, where Hershey, Pennsylvania, is through his own legs. Pulisic “The coaching staff talked Cup and so does this team.
114 players have cycled among just four holdovers poked the ball with the out- about it and decided on And that’s why tonight was
through. Pulisic, who scored from the team that flamed side of his right foot through Christian, I think, because so important to us. And I’m
the U.S. goal that night, bur- out in that final night of the the legs of Andrés Andrade of the journey,” U.S. coach just really happy that we’re
ied his face in his hands at the Clint Dempsey-Tim Howard and slotted over a leg of slid- Gregg Berhalter said. “You able to be in a good position
final whistle. generation, joined by Paul ing goalkeeper of Luis Mejía have a guy that’s been there to do that and finish the job
Arriola, DeAndre Yedlin and with his right foot from 8 before — he was on the field off.”
Now all the U.S. has to do to Kellyn Acosta. Arriola was yards. when we didn’t qualify, and

Gophers’ Steveson wins Hodge again as top college wrestler

(AP) — Olympic gold has been named repeat in the last 10 seconds to beat
medalist and two-time winner of the Dan Hodge WIN magazine on Monday Geno Petriashvili of Georgia Gable left his shoes on the
NCAA champion Gable Trophy as the top college announced Steveson had re- 8-5 in the 125-kilogram final. mat after winning his NCAA
Steveson of Minnesota wrestler. ceived 49 of 59 first-place title, signifying his retirement
votes from a panel of retired Steveson won 6-2 over Ari- from amateur wrestling. He
coaches, a representative zona State’s Cohlton Schultz has already signed a profes-
from each of the national in the NCAA finals in De- sional wrestling contract with
wrestling organizations, me- troit on March 19. He is the WWE.
dia members, past winners first heavyweight to win the
and fans. Hodge Award twice and sec- “Gable is one of the best
ond Minnesota wrestler to competitors I have ever been
Three-time NCAA cham- win it, following 133-pound- around,” Minnesota coach
pion Yianni Diakomihalis of er Jayson Ness in 2010. Brandon Eggum said. “He
Cornell was runner-up and hasn’t even hit his prime yet
two-time national champ Criteria for the Hodge are and we might be seeing the
Nick Lee of Penn State was record, bonus-point percent- greatest heavyweight ever.”
third. age, quality of competition
and sportsmanship. Gable The Dan Hodge Award is
Steveson won the Olympic earned bonus points in 83% named for the undefeated,
gold medal in Tokyo in Au- of his matches while going three-time NCAA champion
gust, scoring two takedowns 18-0. at 177 pounds for Oklahoma.