YORK, Pa. — Note: The video is from June 11, 2021, where Pulisic talks about PA Classics and growing up in Hershey.
The U.S. Men's National Soccer Team is heading to the knockout stage of this year's World Cup tournament against the Netherlands.
One of the key figures on this year's squad was born and raised in Central Pennsylvania.
Christian Pulisic, a 24-year-old attacking midfielder and winger on the USMNT, was born and raised in Hershey.
Much of USA's hopes for making a run at the World Cup depend on whether Pulisic can get it going against the world's elite programs.
Here's a look at how he got to this stage.
HERSHEY, PA BORN AND RAISED
Pulisic comes by his soccer prowess honestly; both his parents played collegiate soccer at George Mason University. His father, Mark, also played professional indoor soccer with the Harrisburg Heat and went on to become a professional coach.
While his mother, Kelley, was on a teacher exchange in England through the Fulbright Program, Pulisic lived abroad for a year before the family returned home. He later trained locally with the PA Classics soccer club while developing as one of the nation's top under-17 players.
PLAYING ABROAD
Pulisic's first international experience came at age 16, when he left to the U.S. to play in Germany with Borussia Dortmund in 2015. After starring on Dortmund's under-17 and under-19 squads, Pulisic was called to join the first team in 2016, where he made his Bundesliga debut on Jan. 30, 2016.
He scored his first professional goal with Borussia Dortmund on April 17, 2016, in a 3-0 win over Hamburg. At 17 years and 212 days old, Pulisic became the youngest non-German and fourth-youngest player to score a goal in the Bundesliga.
Pulisic spent the next three seasons with Dortmund before he embarked on a new challenge, signing a contract to join the Premier League with Chelsea, one of the league's top clubs.
While he battled injuries and a bout of COVID-19 in his three seasons with Chelsea, Pulisic has scored 20 goals in 87 league appearances with the club.
USMNT STARDOM
Pulisic also spent his teens playing for the U.S. U-15 and U-17 national teams, scoring two goals in 10 appearances with the U-15 team. He was elected captain of the U-17 team at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, scoring one goal and gathering two assists in three games.
In his 34 games with the U-17 team, Pulisic scored 20 goals.
Pulisic joined the USMNT senior team in 2016, when he was called up by then-coach Jurgen Klinsmann for a World Cup qualifier against Guatemala. He made his debut in the 4-0 win as a substitute in the 81st minute, becoming the youngest American to play in a World Cup qualifier at age 16.
Later that year, Pulisic became the youngest player to score for the U.S. Team in the modern era when he drilled home a goal in a 4-0 friendly against Bolivia.
Pulisic scored twice and assisted on another goal in a 6-0 victory over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on Sept. 2, 2016, becoming the youngest U.S. player to score in a World Cup qualifier.
While the U.S. did not qualify for the 2018 World Cup, Pulisic still had several noteworthy goals in the team's unsuccessful qualifying bid.
But he helped the USMNT earn redemption by qualifying for this year's tournament. He scored the decisive goal on a penalty kick in a 3-2 win over arch-rival Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League final on June 6, 2021, and scored his first career international hat-trick in a win over Panama in a World Cup qualifier earlier this year.
Pulisic has 21 goals in 52 appearances with the USMNT.