The United States Men’s National Team is less than one year away from co-hosting the World Cup and frankly, things couldn’t be worse. The pre-Gold Cup friendlies resulted in two very uninspiring losses, including a historic 4-0 loss to Switzerland. With the CONCACAF tournament starting this weekend, the USMNT is riding on for straight losses for the first time since 2007.
And all the meanwhile, Christian Pulisic has ignited discourse across U.S. men’s soccer that’s left a rift hanging over the entire program’s head. When the summer roster dropped on May 22nd, Pulisic was notably left off, along with a few other USMNT stars.
A statement from the USMNT revealed that the AC Milan standout was taking time away from the national team this summer in order to rest after a demanding season. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino also revealed his support for the decision, acknowledging the World Cup as the main objective.
Pulisic’s decision has sparked a debate over the workload of a top level player in today’s game, and how that balances with the perceived responsibility of international duty. The saga that’s unfolded is a major issue, and is coming at the worst possible time.
What Happened
The comments kicked off quite the discussion online, particularly between USMNT players of different generations. Clint Dempsey, Herculez Gomez and Tim Weah were among those who chimed in. The most notable response came from Mark Pulisic, the U.S. star’s father, who used Chat GPT to clap back at Donovan on Instagram.
Pulisic eventually responded to all the noise during an appearance on the Golazo America podcast, calling the criticism of his commitment to the national team “out of line.” He reaffirmed his decision to prioritize recovery, stating he wanted to “make the best decision for myself and, in the long run, for my team.”
The biggest takeaway from the interview was Pulisic revealing that he offered to play in the two friendlies, but Pochettino and his staff refused, wanting to maintain one roster for the summer. Pulisic said he didn’t understand the decision, but respected that it was their call to make.
What It Means
Regarding Pulisic’s decision, there is plenty of merit to the prioritization of rest and recovery to maintain long term health. Players in today’s game play more games more often than in any other period of soccer history, and players at high levels with big expectations like Pulisic often face the brunt of it.
Donovan framed his initial criticism through the fact that other top players faced a similarly tough schedule but still put their bodies on the line for their countries, referring to Cristiano Ronaldo coming off injured in the second half of the Nations League final.
In regards to that specific comparison, it’s worth noting a couple of things. Ronaldo is 40 years old, and despite his impeccable personal fitness, his time competing internationally is much more limited that Pulisic’s. Also, the Portuguese national team roster is fairly stacked, and could arguably not need an aging Ronaldo to continue competing among the top countries. There’s more impetus for him savor the time he has with the team, which is good enough to provide him an opportunity to win a trophy.
Meanwhile, the USMNT is in utter shambles. They missed out on a podium finish in the CONCACAF Nations League in the spring, losing the third place game to Canada. The friendlies offered little to spark any optimism moving forward. They need Pulisic, and even he might not be enough.
However, situations like this leaves no one unscathed. Pulisic may avoid injury and be able to play for longer, and may eventually lead the USMNT to a big trophy. But the record will show that at this time, when the USMNT could literally use any help that it can get, he chose to sit out.
The offer to play in the friendlies is something, but counts for very little. Those games are best used as preparation for the impending tournament, which can mean different things depending on how much respect the Gold Cup receives.
If it’s important enough to be a notable gap in Pulisic’s trophy room, then there is more value in using it to see the players that are playing in the tournament and build chemistry. If it’s insignificant enough to let stars skip in order to rest for something more important, then there’s value in evaluating options to potentially rely on if those stars become involuntarily unavailable.
Either way, the performances and results of the friendlies have only left room for doubt. The team looks entirely dependent on the core that is missing this summer, and it has backed the team into an unfortunate corner.
With the bar already set incredibly low, a disappointing run in the cup would cement how little depth the USMNT has in the run up to a World Cup that Pochettino was very optimistic about.
If they somehow turn it around and do well in (or even win) the cup, then there’s work to do in integrating the stars into a system that works without them. Of course, what works in the Gold Cup doesn’t necessarily work in the World Cup. But as of now, this team can’t even figure out a friendly.
These days are dark, and there’s no light on either side of the tunnel. But winning the Gold Cup would be a welcome silver lining.
