As Wayne Rooney takes bow with England, Christian Pulisic takes mantle of USMNT

LONDON — Wayne Rooney and Christian Pulisic are 13 years apart, a European in his golden years playing soccer in America and an American in his wonder years excelling in Europe. They do not know one another. They have never stepped onto a pitch at the same time.

But on Thursday, when England and the United States clash at Wembley Stadium, the soft-spoken English striker and the reticent U.S. attacker will cross paths at a divergent and meaningful moment.

Rooney, D.C. United’s summer savior, will take a bow at the fabled theater in a ceremonial farewell to international competition, one year after retiring from the national team. He will enter the friendly sometime in the second half.

Pulisic, a sensation from Hershey, Pa., and rising star for German titan Borussia Dortmund, will appear in just his second game for the United States this year. With the U.S. program turning to a wave of young players after failing to qualify for this summer’s World Cup in Russia, Pulisic is inheriting a mantle, relatively speaking, that Rooney had when he burst onto the global scene as a teenager.

Other U.S. players are stepping into prominent roles as well, but with Pulisic’s experiences and abilities, this is his team now.

The era of Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard has passed. The veterans who remain in the mix are not going to change the course of American soccer. Pulisic could.

Although he turned 20 this fall — the age of a college junior — the program’s hopes and dreams for the next World Cup cycle and beyond will rest largely with him.

“I definitely need to be a more important piece of this team and continue to grow as a leader,” he said Wednesday. “It’s important for the team and myself. It’s going to be fun moving forward with these guys.”

Pulisic is among several young U.S. players thriving in Europe and MLS. Weston McKennie, featuring regularly with Schalke in the Bundesliga, is another.

“Weston and I are both 20,” Pulisic said. “It’s not like we’re experienced, old guys. We’re in the same boat as a lot of other players.”

But because Pulisic has accomplished so much so fast — and been the subject of transfer rumors to big clubs in England and Spain for tens of millions of dollars — the expectancy to drive the national team, fairly or unfairly, has swelled.

“We don’t want to put too many expectations on Christian,” U.S. interim coach Dave Sarachan said. “To think that by having him now, all of a sudden, we become a magical group is unfair.”

The parallels with Rooney, though, are striking. The Englishman debuted with England at age 17 and went on to become the country’s career scoring leader (and Manchester United’s goal king). The burden of expectation on both him and the national team, however, was often too much to bear.

Soccer Football – England Training – St. George’s Park, Burton upon Trent, Britain – November 14, 2018 England’s Wayne Rooney during training Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine

Rooney admitted as much this week.

“There was huge pressure on me and the team to perform,” he said at England training camp. “Sometimes that makes you try too hard and be anxious. Sometimes you put too much on yourself and it affects performances. That’s the story of my England career,” in which he never led the Three Lions to a major trophy.

Asking the same of Pulisic, U.S. veteran goalkeeper Brad Guzan said, is asking a lot.

“Wayne Rooney, for what he has done for England and his clubs, has been fantastic,” said Guzan, who has played with Pulisic for two years and faced Rooney’s rockets for several in the Premier League. “Christian is still young. He has got a lot of great years ahead of him. Do I think he has the potential to do fantastic things in soccer? Absolutely. But you can’t put that kind of comparison on Christian’s shoulders.”

Pulisic said he has admired Rooney for a long time, although, “when he was younger, it was hard to follow for me because I was really young. But a guy like that with a successful career is something I can look at. I want to be just like that. I want to have a long career.

“He was a very passionate guy and I loved watching that. He worked so hard. My dad [who was an influential figure in Pulisic’s formative years] always told me he was a good guy to look up to.”

Despite his peaceful disposition, Rooney captained both England and Manchester United. He now wears the armband for D.C. United.

Pulisic’s leadership ability will come more by example than rousing speeches.

“It’s tough because I am not a very vocal guy,” he said. “I want to show these guys how it’s done at a professional level. I want to go in and be focused every day in training. If guys see that, they will want to do the same thing.”

Pulisic will lead in his own way, Guzan said.

“You can’t force something upon someone. They either take it or they don’t, or they go about it in their own way. I think he is one of those guys who takes responsibility upon himself, but at the same time, he is not going to change his personality just because there are a bunch of young players coming through.”

United States at England

Where: Wembley Stadium in London.

When: Thursday at 3 p.m. Eastern time.

TV: ESPN2, UniMas.

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