'Everyone wants to throw his name in the gutter' - Tyler Adams defends Christian Pulisic's Gold Cup absence, questions criticism from former USMNT players

Yahoo

18 hours ago

Adams says Pulisic doesn't have to earn team's respect
Stayed close with Pulisic over the summer
Suggests criticism of Pulisic is unfair
WHAT HAPPENED
Christian Pulisic and the UMMNT were entangled in controversy much of the summer after the AC Milan star opted to skip the Gold Cup. The move, along with his subsequent comments trying to explain the absence, drew heavy criticism from former USMNT players, including Landon Donovan, Alexi Lalas, Herculez Gomez, Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey, among others.
Bournemouth midfielder midfielder Tyler Adams defended his USMNT teammate, saying that his choice was personal and necessary - and that Pulisic never anticipated the level of criticism.
'It's a topic that everyone wants to have an opinion on, of course, but what Christian did is what he had to do for himself,' Adams told the Athletic. 'He doesn't have to earn the respect of anyone in the group. Everyone knows who Christian is as a person, and how good of a player he is as well. But everyone needs time in certain moments of their career or life to just say 'Let me take a step back, focus on myself for a second and then move forward.'
'I speak to Christian all the time. We're obviously super close. And I just know that this summer, while he took a step away, he didn't anticipate that there was going to be that much noise and heat around it. But again, everyone wants to throw his name in the gutter because it creates a big story, or it creates noise around (the team). And that's how big of a player he is and how important of a player he is... he's one of the leaders of our team. The decision that he made was best for him, and it's going to help him in the long run.'
WHAT ADAMS SAID
Adams criticized the pundits who called out Pulisic, especially the opinionated former USMNT players.
'I can't even explain it,' Adam said. 'I'm not a social-media guy, so I don't follow anything, but when people bring up some of the things that are being said and some of the stories that are being created, it feels weird, because it feels like not long ago that every single one of those people were on board with, like, the direction that the federation was going and how well the players were doing.
'And it feels like any setback is (treated) like a disaster is happening. Do you know what I mean? And that happens in football. I get it. Some people have jobs where their job is to speak about the sport, and if that's their opinion, that's their opinion. My goal is to try to create an environment, especially within our team, where guys feel like they can go out, be themselves, be comfortable. We're all on the same page and want to grow the sport in America."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Adams didn't wear the captain's armband this summer but, in reality, is clearly one of the team's core leaders. He was Gregg Berhalter's captain and, while he may not yet be Mauricio Pochettino's, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him leading the team at a second consecutive World Cup.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The USMNT will play Korea and Japan in pair of September friendlies as they continue their path toward the 2026 World Cup.