Olivier Giroud, wanda yanzu yana aiki a matsayin mai sharhi na BBC Sport a Gasar Kofin Duniya ta FIFA, ya yi magana da zafi game da tsohon abokin wasansa na kulob ɗinsa Christian Pulisic — kuma ya yi imani da cewa kyaftin ɗin Amurka yana shirye ya zama ƙarfi mai yanke hukunci a wannan gasar.

Abokin wasa wanda koyaushe ya isar wa ƙasarsa

Giroud ya raba ɗakin sutura da Pulisic a Chelsea da kuma AC Milan, kuma ya ce yadda Bamurikin ya buga wasa a kan Paraguay bai ba shi mamaki ba. "Ina tsammanin yana da abin da ake buƙata don kai ƙungiyar Amurka zuwa mataki na gaba a makonni masu zuwa," Giroud ya shaida wa BBC Sport, yana ƙara da cewa yana fata cewa rauni a sawun ƙafa wanda ya sa Pulisic ya bar filin wasa a rabin farko ba da tsanani ba.

Sa'ad da Pulisic ya zo Chelsea daga Borussia Dortmund a shekara ta 2019, ya riga ya kasance ɗan wasan muhimmanci a cikin tawagar Amurka. Laƙabi da ya makale a AC Milan — 'Captain America' — ya nuna gaskiya: shi ne tauraron ƙungiyar, da kyautar shugabanci ko babu ta. Nauyin da ya zo tare da wannan matsayi ya raka shi koyaushe.

Kakar wasan karshe a kulob ɗinsa na AC Milan bai kasance daidai ba. Ya fara da kyau amma ƙungiyar ta ruguje, ta rasa cancantar shiga UEFA Champions League, kuma Pulisic ya yi watanni da yawa ba tare da zura ƙwallon ba. Duk da haka, Giroud ya ce wannan yanayi ba ya canza abin da ake tsammani daga gare shi a matakin ƙasa da ƙasa — tsammanin cewa zai ci wa Amurka nasara yana nan, tare da suka idan ya kasa.

Ƙarfin hankali da aka gina a cikin wahalhalu

Giroud yana fito karara cewa waɗancan gwagwarmayoyi sun gina Pulisic ba raunana shi ba. Lokutan wahala — raunuka, rashin nagarta a kulob, nauyin tsammanin ƙasar — sun ƙirƙiro ɗan wasan da ya fi ƙarfi. Yana da shekaru 27, Giroud ya yi imani cewa Pulisic a ƙarshe yana aiki da balaga da tagomashinsa ya koyaushe buƙata.

Wasu sun yi tambaya game da yanke shawara na Pulisic na ƙaurace Gold Cup na 2024, lokacin da ya shaida koci Mauricio Pochettino cewa yana buƙatar hutawa. Giroud ya goyi bayan wannan shawara a lokacin, yana jaddada cewa Pulisic ya san jikinsa fiye da kowa. Sai dai wannan rashin halartar ya ƙara yawan hasken da ake sa masa yanzu. "Ina tsammanin ya san haka, kuma yana shirye don ɗaukar wannan alhakin, na tunani da na jiki," in ji Giroud.

'Ya tunasarni da Eden Hazard'

A wajen filin wasa, Giroud ya bayyana Pulisic a matsayin wanda a farkon sa'i ya bayyana kamar mai shyness amma ya bude kofa gaba ɗaya da zarar amana ta kafa — kasancewar mai tausayi tare da ɗan wasa mai kaifin barkwanci. A filin wasa, haɗin gwiwarsu ya yi aiki nan take a Chelsea.

Giroud ya buga a matsayin manhajar burin kwallon kuma yana buƙatar motsi a sararin kewaye da shi — kuma Pulisic ya ba shi daidai haka. "Christian ya tunasarni da Eden Hazard, da yadda yake ɗaukar abokan hamayya kuma ya sauƙaƙa wucewa da su," in ji Giroud. Bambancin mahimmanci, a ra'ayinsa, shi ne hali: Hazard ya buga da 'yanci na asali ba tare da shakku ba, yayin da Pulisic wani lokaci yana sanya masa matsin lamba mai yawa kuma yana wasa a ƙasan ƙarfinsa.

Hakan ya canza lokacin da Pulisic ya ƙaura zuwa Serie A. Haɗuwar shekaru, ƙwarewa, da sabon yanayi — wanda ya ji ana ɗaukaka shi — ya ba shi damar bayyana kansa. Sa'ad da AC Milan suka jera Rafael Leao, Pulisic, da Giroud a gaba, ukun sun cika juna ta hanya ta halitta. Giroud ya yi imani cewa Amurka za su buƙaci wannan irin haɗin kai a kusa da tauraron su.

Kwallon da ya zura a kan Senegal a ƙarshen Mayu ya taimaka wa Pulisic kawo ƙarshen farin cikin kasa na zura ƙwallo da ɗauki amincewa zuwa Gasar Kofin Duniya. Babu wanda ke tsammani Amurka za su ɗaga kofin, amma Giroud yana ƙarara: idan za su kai zagaye na knock-out, Pulisic zai zama maɓallin nasarar. "Koyaushe na yi tsammanin Amurka suna da sa'a da shi, domin yana da ƙwarewa DA hankali. Fasaha kadai ba ta isa ba."