Sometimes, for whatever reason, a player just looks more comfortable playing for their national team than their club.
Yes, they may only get a handful of games a year, compared to the never-ending cycle of club football, but the national team can offer a change in style, formation and teammates that can have a positive impact on some.
With the 2022 World Cup on the horizon, there may be concerns that a lack of playing time or comfort in a club side could impact a player’s chances of impressing in Qatar. But fear not, for these six players, the likelihood is that they will perform better when donning the national team jersey.
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Having looked so bright in his early days at Chelsea — he scored nine goals during his debut season in the Premier League — the development of the USMNT captain has somewhat stagnated as far his club career is concerned. After being largely ignored by Thomas Tuchel last season — he never got a prolonged spell in his favoured role on the left side of midfield — the arrival of new manager Graham Potter could prove to be either a fresh start or the beginning of the end for his Chelsea career.
For his country, however, Pulisic has continuously performed well (he has 21 goals and 12 assists from 51 games, though some always expect more), with a hat trick against Panama in March being his recent finest hour. His club form so far this season does raises some concerns — he’s still to feature beyond an hour in any competition — but he should still retain his place as the U.S. team’s leader for the World Cup.
