When it comes to U.S. soccer, Sunday’s match between Chelsea and Manchester United was supposed to be a must-watch event.
Christian Pulisic, seven months removed from a $73 million transfer to Chelsea, was set to make his Premier League debut against the very club he grew up rooting for. The plot lines were all set for a storybook moment in U.S. soccer, but when it came time for new Chelsea manager Frank Lampard to name his starting 11, the 20-year-old American wasn’t included.
Pulisic was named as a substitute for Chelsea’s Premier League opener, which was a somewhat unexpected move after Pulisic’s strong showing in preseason friendlies with the Blues.
While Lampard possibly wanted to ease Pulisic into the action, U.S. soccer fans were looking to see the most expensive American player make a start in the Premier League. They weren’t pleased to see Pulisic begin his Chelsea career on the bench.
Chelsea went into halftime down, 1-0, at Old Trafford.
