Pulisic Doubtful to Start for Milan

Winger Remains Goalless in 2026

Christian Pulisic returns to club duty with AC Milan in a fragile state of mind after a difficult March window with the U.S. national team, and his place in the starting lineup for Monday's match at Napoli is very much in doubt.

The 27-year-old endured another goalless international window, missing several clear-cut chances against both Belgium and Portugal. His body language throughout suggested a player low on confidence, and his frustration boiled over against Portugal when a late challenge and a petulant kick earned him a yellow card. The scoreless streak now stretches to eight consecutive games for the national team, while he also hasn't scored for Milan since late December—a drought spanning 12 club matches.

Reports out of Italy suggest Pulisic could be left on the bench at the Maradona Stadium, with Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri reportedly weighing his options given Pulisic's psychological state upon returning from international duty. The situation is compounded by ongoing injury concerns around winger Rafael Leão, leaving Allegri potentially without his preferred attacking partnership.

Pulisic did score and assist in a previous meeting with Napoli this season, which could factor into Allegri's thinking. But right now, the U.S. star's confidence is clearly his biggest obstacle, and with the World Cup just two months away, the timing couldn't be worse.

Balogun Versus Weah

American Duo Face Off in Ligue 1

Momentum is firmly on Monaco's side heading into Sunday's Mediterranean Derby against Marseille at the Stade Louis-II, with kickoff set for 8:45p local time.

The hosts enter riding a six-game Ligue 1 winning streak, which is the longest active run across Europe's top five leagues, while Marseille arrive having dropped points in each of their last two matches, most recently a 2-1 defeat to Lille.

Much of the spotlight falls on two Americans with World Cup aspirations. Folarin Balogun has been in sensational form for Monaco, scoring in each of his last five league matches. The striker, who featured for the U.S. in the March window, could become just the fourth Monaco player in the 21st century to score in six consecutive top-flight games. His nine Ligue 1 goals this season make him a pivotal figure in Pochettino's World Cup plans.

On the other side, Tim Weah should start at right back for Marseille, who face an uphill battle without suspended winger Mason Greenwood, which is a massive blow given how dependent the club has been on the Englishman's output this season.

Historically, Monaco has been prolific against Marseille, and with Balogun in this kind of form, the hosts will be confident of extending their winning run while further tightening the race for Champions League qualification.

U.S. Falls Again

Americans Conclude the March International Window With Another Defeat

The United States closed out its March international window with another dispiriting result, falling 2-0 to Portugal in a friendly at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Tuesday—the country's eighth straight loss to European opposition.

Fresh off a 5-2 dismantling by Belgium just three days earlier, Mauricio Pochettino shuffled his lineup with six changes and made the bold call to deploy Christian Pulisic as a central striker, hoping the positional shift might jolt his star forward out of a prolonged scoring drought. It didn't work. Pulisic was subbed off at halftime, extending his scoreless streak to eight consecutive national team appearances. He hasn't found the back of the net for club side AC Milan since late December, either.

Francisco Trincão broke the deadlock before halftime, capitalizing after a midfield turnover that Bruno Fernandes turned into an assist. João Félix, who came on as a substitute, put the game away in the second half with a polished volley from outside the box off a set piece, a goal that underscored how much space the U.S. defense repeatedly surrendered.

It's worth noting that Portugal was missing both Cristiano Ronaldo, sidelined with injury, and Bernardo Silva, who wasn't included in Roberto Martinez's squad for the window. Yet the visitors still had more than enough quality to control large stretches of the match.

Goalkeeper Matthew Freese, starting ahead of Matt Turner, made several sharp saves to prevent the scoreline from getting worse. The result leaves plenty of uncertainty heading into the summer. Pochettino still has two more warm-up matches—against Senegal on May 31 and Germany on June 6—before the World Cup kicks off. The Americans open Group D play on June 12 against Paraguay in Inglewood, with Australia and Türkiye to follow.