At the edge of Chelsea: the fate of Christian Pulisic, with notes from London

Christian Pulisic's fate is at the center of the US National Team, but at the edge of Chelsea. With rumors swirling, I reflect on past & possibility, with notes from my visit to Chelsea this August.

I arrived at a hotel in Chelsea near midnight, finding two young gentlemen looking at me with some mixture of welcome and relief. “You’re very lucky. We have one room left.”

“What state are you from?” they ask. (I do occasionally feel for the plight of Canadians. Once they hear you speak, they do presume. The people of Saskatoon must always be correcting, it’s a province, don’t you know.) 

Can’t tell you how many times (feels like every time) somebody’s asked me this summer: “So where ya from then?” and I say, “the USA, baby”. And they look at me like, yeah, no kidding. “I meant which state?”

I don’t actually say “baby”, I just think it in my head. And when they ask “where from?” I still start with “USA”, for the sake of our dear friends up north. 

“Pennsylvania” I respond. The man with a key concentrates on something just above my head, then looks down disappointed. “Have you ever been to Pennsylvania?” I venture, wondering what’s gone wrong. No, he says. I wanted to impress you with my America knowledge. But I don’t know anything about Pennsylvania. I laugh, and for some reason, say: “It’s a rectangle named after William Penn.” 

Can you tell me more facts? For next time? 

“… Well, I’m from Philadelphia, specifically…”  I mention the liberty bell, independence hall (which he thought was in DC), cheesesteaks, Rocky… “also” I say, “Christian Pulisic is from Pennsylvania”. He slaps the table at the sound of Pulisic, throws his hand in the air. “Pulisic! I knew that. I did know that.”

As he checks me in, we start talking about football. He’s surprised I’m a fan. He is not, he laughs, emphatically, from Chelsea. Nor is he a fan of the club. I ask how he’d describe Chelsea. The area or the club? “Well, both”. Rich. 

He is from London, yes, but from Paddington. “Who's your club?” He looks over his shoulder. I can’t tell you here. “Why not?” He freezes, looks around, sly smile. “Tell me.” Manchester United. “Ah.”