Olivier Giroud has said his former Chelsea and AC Milan teammate Christian Pulisic “reminded him of Eden Hazard” when he played for Chelsea, after praising the United States winger for a brilliant performance against Paraguay.
France‘s all-time top scorer lauded Pulisic for helping the World Cup co-hosts get off to a winning start with a 4-1 victory in their opening game on Saturday.
Giroud and Pulisic were teammates at Chelsea for two years until the 2020-21 season and the Frenchman spoke highly of their time together in the Premier League.
“Christian reminded me of Eden Hazard, with the way he took on opponents and found it easy to dribble past people,” Giroud said on BBC Sport.
“I played as a target man and I needed some pace and movement around me — someone like [Pulisic] playing in the pocket between the lines and getting on the ball, looking for me and feeding off my flick-ons.
Read more:Netherlands’ Memphis Depay, Bart Verbruggen both fit to face Japan
“I was not surprised at how well he played against Paraguay because I think that he has got what it takes to take the U.S. team to the next level over the next few weeks.”
Pulisic delivered a high-class performance, assisting Folarin Balogun before getting substituted off at half time due to a kick to his calf, which head coach Mauricio Pochettino explained was a precautionary decision.
“I have always thought the USA are lucky to have him, because he has skill and intelligence,” Giroud said.
“At Milan we used to call him by his nickname, ‘Captain America’ because even when he wasn’t wearing the USA armband he was their star player, with the biggest profile.
Read more:José Mourinho named Real Madrid coach 13 years after first stint
“No one is expecting the USA to win this World Cup, but if they are going to reach the knockout stage, he will be key.”
The three-goal margin of victory was the United States’ largest at a World Cup since a pair of 3-0 wins at the inaugural tournament in 1930.
The World Cup co-hosts will face Australia and Türkiye in Group D next.
