Christian Pulisic Breaks Silence After USMNT Decision
Christian Pulisic Breaks Silence After USMNT Decision originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Wednesday marked exactly one year until the kickoff of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Advertisement
On Tuesday night, the United States Men's National Team suffered an embarrassing 4-0 loss to Switzerland in the send-off match before the start of the CONCACAF Gold Cup — the final major tournament before the World Cup begins.
USMNT captain Christian Pulisic watched the four-goal defeat from home. He opted to sit out the Gold Cup this summer so he could get extra rest after a long season for AC Milan, a decision that brought plenty of criticism his way.
In his first public interview about his summer plans, Pulisic revealed that if he had his way, he would have been playing against Switzerland on Tuesday.
United States Men's National Team forward Christian Pulisic (left) and USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino.Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
"I did want to be a part of at least the two friendlies," Pulisic said in an interview with former USMNT players Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Tony Meola on Thursday. "I did speak with the coaches and I asked. I wanted to be part of the team in whatever capacity I could.
Advertisement
"They said no," Pulisic revealed of head coach Mauricio Pochettino and his national team staff. "They said they only wanted one roster and that's coach's decision. I fully respect that. I didn't understand it, but it is what it is.'
Pulisic, who has 32 goals and 18 assists in 76 appearances for the national team, emphasized that resting this summer was the best decision for him and the team in the long term, with an eye toward the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
The 26-year-old spoke about several topics during the lengthy interview, including his response to the criticism about commitment from USMNT legend Landon Donovan, which Pulisic's dad called out on social media.
"Some of these guys were my idols; I respect them so much as players," Pulisic admitted. "It's tough especially when privately the way they talk to me and want to show support and be your friend and everything, and then it goes and they say something slightly different publicly."
Advertisement
USMNT's first game of the Gold Cup is on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET against Trinidad and Tobago on Fox. The World Cup kicks off in 364 days.
Related: Christian Pulisic's Girlfriend Sends Clear Message Amid USMNT Absence
Related: Christian Pulisic Turns Heads with Reaction to Criticism Amid USMNT Absence
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Michigan State basketball PG Jeremy Fears throws out first pitch at Chicago White Sox game
Michigan State basketball point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. signed a pretty cool NIL deal recently, becoming one of the Chicago White Sox, "CHISOX Athletes". The Chicago White Sox have brought back their NIL program, dubbed as CHISOX Athletes, and Fears was selected. Being in the program, athlete partners will receive branding opportunities across White Sox platforms, a professional photoshoot at a Chicagoland venue and custom gear. Advertisement On Friday, Fears was able to throw out the first pitch for the White Sox game against the San Francisco Giants. A cool experience for the MSU point guard, returning to his home state. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on X @Cory_Linsner This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State basketball PG throws out first pitch at White Sox game
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Huskers land prediction for top player in the state of Nebraska
Class of 2027 four-star safety Tory Pittman has been projected to the Nebraska football program by Rivals' Greg Smith. Smith put the prediction in on Friday. Pittman is one of the most coveted prospects for the 2027 class. On top of this, he is the top prospect in the state of Nebraska and the second safety in the 2027 class overall, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. Advertisement Pittman has visited the Nebraska campus several times. He has taken one visit this calendar year, doing so on March 27. He has visited the Huskers six other times, with his first visit coming on April 9, 2024. The safety is coming off a strong 2024 season that saw him record 54 tackles, a sack, and three interceptions, per statistics from The safety will be a challenge to keep in-state, as he has tremendous talent and attention at a national level. Smith's prediction is certainly encouraging, but there is still a long way to go between then and signing day. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions. This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Nebraska football in position to land four-star safety Tory Pittman
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rivals Five-Star: Breaking down the tight ends
INDIANAPOLIS – The stars came out for the 2025 Rivals Five-Star event at the Indianapolis Colts' facility this week. Here we break down the top tight ends from the event. MORE FROM INDY: Highlights and analysis | Teams that should be pleased | Positional MVPs | Gorney Awards | Biggest surprises | Flip watch | QB analysis | RB analysis | WR analysis RECRUITING INTEL: Mid-South | Florida | West | Southeast | Midwest RIVALS FIVE-STAR MEDIA DAY: All the news, notes and interviews | The All-Lobby Team | How solid are the commitments? | Roster RIVALS FIVE-STAR INTERVIEWS: Jaden O'Neal | Trae Taylor | Chase Calicut | Samu Moala | Jake Kreul | Felix Ojo | Peyton Houston | CJ Sadler | Richard Wesley | JaReylan McCoy | Carter Scruggs | Nolan Wilson | Carson Sneed | Derrek Cooper | Devin Carter | Jayden Wade | Joel Wyatt | Kaden Henderson | Nick Abrams Prothro's development is encouraging Prothro was one of players the national analyst staff was most excited to see perform at Rivals Five-Star on Tuesday. The elite tight end prospect was warming up and went through the majority of position drills when he pulled his hamstring and was unable to work out the rest of the day. Advertisement Prothro was visibly disappointed but his physical development, which was the biggest question mark surrounding his ranking, was obvious. He weighed in at 216 pounds and, despite the pulled hamstring, even participated in the bench press competition where he recorded nine reps of 225 pounds. Georgia is trending in Prothro's recruitment but Auburn and a handful of other teams are in pursuit. Georgia poised to sign an elite tight end class The caliber of defender Georgia commit Lincoln Keyes faced at Five-Star was new to him and it was good for the national analyst team to evaluate him under these conditions. The Michigan native is a very impressive prospect with great hands and the ability to make tough catches over the middle and down the field. He'll be a very reliable target for Georgia quarterbacks when he gets on the field in Athens but that could take some time. Keyes has a well-rounded game but he could find it difficult to consistently create separation from defenders when he reaches the next level. Advertisement That being said, the style Keyes plays with would complement Prothro's skillset beautifully, if both do end up signing with Georgia. The two highly ranked tight ends were frequently seen chatting and playing catch during the down time on Tuesday. That relationship appears to be fairly strong and could pay dividends for the Dawgs down the road. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH GEORGIA FANS AT Holden Niemi makes strong impression Holden Niemi was a late addition to the Rivals Five-Star roster and took advantage of the opportunity to make a strong impression. The 2027 prospect out of Illinois is fairly well-developed from a physical perspective and showed strong athletic traits throughout the workout on Tuesday. Advertisement Adjusting to the variety of quarterbacks seemed to be a bit challenging for him at times, which resulted in passes falling incomplete. Niemi is only heading into his junior season so there is plenty of time for him to make adjustments to his game before he reaches the next level. He is, however, on the smaller side when it comes to the trends that have emerged in the NFL Draft for tight ends so keeping an eye on his physical growth will be a focus going forward. Sneed's impact shouldn't be overlooked Tennessee tight end commit Carson Sneed posted impressive measurements during registration on Monday and he had plenty of bright spots on the field Tuesday. At 6-foot-6, 246 pounds, Sneed is fairly lean but plays with a great deal of strength, which showed when linebackers and defensive backs bounced off of him as they tried to disrupt his routes. Advertisement He isn't the most natural receiver but there is plenty of potential to get excited about, which is surely part of the reason why Florida, North Carolina and others are trying to pry him away from the Volunteers. The Gators appear to be making some headway but it's hard to count out North Carolina at this point in the recruiting process. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TENNESSEE FANS AT
