USMNT Teenager Julian Hall Accomplishes on First Try What Christian Pulisic Never Could

I promise it’s harder than Julian Hall makes it look.

That was no doubt the thought swirling through the head of Christian Pulisic on his couch Saturday night, watching the 18-year-old striker score his third-consecutive goal for the Stars and Stripes, a feat he himself has never achieved.

Hall earned his first-ever call-up for the USMNT this fall, joining 27 other players for the four-game September-October international window, while the USMNT’s poster player, Pulisic, was shockingly left at home.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino’s bold gamble paid off immediately, though, seeing the New York City kid score in each of his first three caps. Hall came off the bench in his debut against Peru last week, and just 10 minutes after taking the pitch, he found the back of the net with his knee. He also provided an assist in the 90th minute, guiding the USMNT to an emphatic 4–1 victory.

Hall was even more dazzling in the following friendly against Chile, his first-career start. He facilitated the USMNT’s opening goal with a sneaky “dummy” move that left the Chilean backline utterly confused, before finding the back of the net himself off of a leaping header in the 51st minute. Although the USMNT added two more goals before the final whistle, it was ultimately because of Hall that the team was able to gain its attacking edge and walk away with a 4–2 victory. Hall became the youngest player in USMNT history to score in back-to-back games.

But the teenager wasn’t finished. His third act of heroism came in Saturday’s marquee match against bitter-rival Mexico. Once again cracking the starting lineup, Hall capitalized on a fumbled ball in the penalty box to put the USMNT ahead in the 28th minute. Midfielder Giovanni Reyna had taken a near-post shot from the goal line, which El Tri goalkeeper Raúl Rangel spilled out of his hands. Hall was waiting patiently in front of the goal mouth to capitalize on it, blasting it first-time into the net.

Hall became just the third player in USMNT history to score a goal in each of his first three caps and the first player to do so in over 20 years. Eddie Johnson achieved the feat in 2004–05, while Alexander Rae did so back in 1937.

Julian Hall Joins Small Company

hall and tillman smiling together — Malik Tillman (left) and Hall are the only two USMNT players in the past decade to score in three-consecutive matches. | Rich Storry/Getty Images

Hall joins the more recent company of teammate Malik Tillman as the only two USMNT players in the past decade to score in three-consecutive appearances.

Prior to Tillman, it was a feat last achieved by USMNT legend Clint Dempsey back in 2016 in Copa América play, and it is one that Pulisic has attempted and failed his entire international career. “Captain America” has scored in two-consecutive games three times in his career (June 2017, October 2017, October 2023) but never extended the streak to a third match.

Hall will look to make it four-consecutive in the USMNT’s final game of the September-October window against Canada on Tuesday.

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