In footballing terms, the distance must have felt like light years, even if Hershey, Pa. and Dortmund are only few hours apart by plane. It soon became apparent, however, that Christian Pulisic, a shy, slight boy aged 16, was ready to make the leap and faster than anyone could have anticipated. Within his first 12 months in Germany, he helped the Black and Yellows win Under-17 and Under-19 championships, then broke into Borussia's first XI under coach Thomas Tuchel.
His progress has continued unabated and at a turbo-charged pace, smashing records -- the youngest foreign scorer in Bundesliga history, the youngest scorer for the United States, the youngest American to win a major European trophy to name but three -- like a bull in a china shop.