Christian Pulisic Scores Gorgeous Goal in Champions League Semifinals

Christian Pulisic continues to break barriers for members of the United States men's soccer team. On Tuesday he became the first American to score a goal in a UEFA Champions League semifinal, as he opened the scoring for Chelsea against Real Madrid at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.

Pulisic made an incredible run to get behind the defense, collected a pass from Antonio Rudiger, then rounded Real keeper Thibaut Courtois and blasted the ball home to give The Blues a 1-0 lead.

Here's another view:

It was Pulisic's fourth goal in his last six starts. In addition to breaking ground for American soccer, he also became the youngest Chelsea player to score in a Champions League semifinal at 22 years and 221 days out.

It's pretty amazing to think Pulisic is still only 22. It feels like he's been around forever, mostly because he made his USMNT debut in 2016 when he was 17 and scored a goal in a friendly against Bolivia in May of that year. He's also been a regular starter in Europe since 2016 with Borussia Dortmund, and is currently wrapping up his seventh season of European football.

When he's healthy, Pulisic is a breakthrough talent for soccer in the United States. He's a trailblazer that is now being followed by a cavalcade of young American stars currently playing in top European leagues. Guys like Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, Chris Richards, Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah, Josh Sargent, Zack Steffen and more.

While today's tally was just one goal, it's symbolic of the improved fortunes of American soccer.