Before his first game as U.S. men's national team manager, Mauricio Pochettino said exactly what you'd expect him to say.
"I think he's a fantastic player," he told reporters, "one of the best offensive players in the world."
He was, of course, talking about Christian Pulisic. The greatest American soccer player alive -- the greatest American soccer player of all time. But is he one of the best offensive players in the world?
This was just prepackaged coachspeak, right? Pulisic never locked down a starting spot at Chelsea, and now he's finally flourishing after taking a step down to AC Milan. We know he's an above-average attacker, but one of the best?
Of course Pochettino is going to say this about his captain and his most important player. To say anything else would create a mini-controversy, or at least some unfavorable headlines. And to say anything else would suggest that the team he just took over isn't that good. If your best player isn't one of the best players in the world, then how can you realistically expect to make a deep run at the World Cup in two years?
But, well, through seven Serie A matches, Pulisic really has been -- to quote his new coach -- one of the best offensive players in the world. What has changed for Pulisic? And how likely is it to continue?