Christian Pulisic 'doesn't have the answers' for USMNT but 'I care so much for this team, for this country'
USMNT captain Christian Pulisic had his two quietest games in a national team shirt in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal and third-place game, and it's no surprise that the Yanks lost both of those games.
The week has left Mauricio Pochettino's program in a state of shock just 13 months out from the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
Pulisic spoke to Paramount Plus' Nico Cantor after the game and the AC Milan star had very few answers for what's befell the USMNT in a 1-0 loss to Panama and 2-1 loss to Canada, both on American soil.
MORE — What we learned from Canada loss | Player ratings
'Obviously disappointed,' Pulisic said. 'We'll go talk now but we've gotta come back from this of course. We're not at our best right now. ... Now all we cando is be examples at our clubs every day, be the best that we can be.
'When we come back, some things need to change. I don't have all the answers at the moment.'
Pulisic was asked about the poor performances coming so close to the World Cup. He did not mince words.
'We'll see when it comes around who can be there,' Pulisic said. 'The feeling is not good right now. We need to turn it around and we can hopefully build some momentum this summer.'
Pulisic said he enjoys playing in the No. 10 role for Pochettino but acknowledged it's been 'tough' as he's 'not seeing as much of the ball as I'd like.'
And he also delivered some passion when asked about being given the captain's band to start a game for the first time under Pochettino's reign.
'This team is everything to me,' Pulisic said. 'I care so much for this team, for this country. I hope people know that about me. It's truly an honor to lead this country.'
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Associated Press
13 minutes ago
- Associated Press
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Miami Herald
20 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Club World Cup Fan Guide: Groups, Players to Watch, South Florida Watch Parties
The $1 billion Club World Cup kicks off Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium with Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates facing Egyptian power Al Ahly. After much debate about qualification rules and player overload due to an ever-expanding FIFA calendar, 32 of the best club teams in the world will vie for supremacy over the next month, with the final on July 13 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The tournament will also serve as a dress rehearsal for the 2026 World Cup, which is being hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada next summer. Here is everything you need to know about the Club World Cup… Where is the tournament being played? Atlanta, Cincinnati, Charlotte, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York/New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, Seattle, Washington, D.C. What is the format? Eight groups of four play a round-robin stage and the top two from each group advance to the knockout stage. 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Franco Mastantuono (River Plate): This 17-year-old midfielder is already being anointed as the next great player out of Argentina after becoming the youngest player ever to appear in an official game for the senior national team. He is reportedly headed to Real Madrid for a $45 million transfer fee after being wooed by PSG and Manchester United. Cole Palmer (Chelsea): Left his childhood club Manchester City for Chelsea in 2023 and went on to score 40 goals across all competitions over the past two seasons. Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan): The Argentine has scored 20-plus goals in five of the past six seasons, won Serie A Most Valuable Player and won the Golden Boot while leading Argentina to the 2024 Copa America title. Estevao (Palmeiras): This 18-year-old Brazilian is Palmeiras' leading scorer this season, with eight goals in all competitions so far in 2025. He has made four appearances for the Brazilian national team and is headed to Chelsea for a reported $68 million transfer fee. 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Inter Miami's selection for the tournament was controversial because the team has not won an MLS Cup, but league commissioner Don Garber defended FIFA's decision. 'I think it's exciting and I'm glad that we have a showcase for Miami,' Garber said. 'This is FIFA's tournament, and they picked a host. They have the right to do was no rule that said the MLS Cup winner needs to be in the Club World Cup. 'I think it was smart. I'm excited about putting Miami up in a showcase around the world to kick off the Club World Cup in our country, in our stadiums as a launch to the World Cup and I couldn't be more excited about it.' How to watch the Club World Cup All 63 matches will be livestreamed for free on Twenty-four games will also be shown on TNT, TBS, TruTV in English. Univision and TUDN will show games in Spanish. How to get tickets Club World Cup tickets are available at and at secondary online markets such as StubHub and Vivid Seats. South Florida Watch Parties Grails Wynwood, 2800 N Miami Ave, Miami 33127. 70+ HD TVs and passionate fans. Fritz & Franz Bierhaus, 60 Merrick Way, Coral Gables 33134. Great spot for all matches, special pre-game party for Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors June 20. Biscayne Bay Brewing, 100 NE 1st Ave Third Floor, Miami 33132. Big screens, drink specials. Wynwood Marketplace, 2250 NW 2nd Ave, Miami 33127. Lots of big screens, drink specials and sponsor activations. Hosting Casa Palmeiras, the Palmeiras fan zone, from June 19 to June 23. Showing every match, from June 14 to July 13. Cervecería La Tropical Wynwood, 42 NE 25th St, Miami, FL 33137. Craft beer, diehard soccer fans, big patio screen with live music before and after. Batch Gastropub, 30 SW 12th St, Miami 33130. Showing all Inter Miami matches, Round of 16 games, quarterfinals, semifinals and final on 25 TVs and huge projection screen The Doral Yard: 8455 NW 53rd St. Doral 33166. Watch Al Ahly FC take on Inter Miami June 14. Multiple giant screens, indoor and outdoor. Free admission, drink specials. Table reservations require separate booking through the venue's reservation system. For information, call (786) 843-5106 The Wharf Fort Lauderdale, 20 W Las Olas Blvd Fort Lauderdale 33301: Join us for Game 1 of the FIFA Club World Cup as Inter Miami takes on Al Ahly FC. Whether you're backing Messi and the Miami squad or cheering for the pride of Egypt, come soak in the energy, wear your colors, and experience the thrill with your fellow soccer fans. Call (954) 372-7606, or email hello@ Biergarten Boca Raton, 309 Via de Palmas, # 90, Boca Raton, Florida 33432. German club Bayern Munich is hosting two events for South Florida fans: Soccer camp for children ages 6-18 from June 18 to June 20 at 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Kendall Soccer Park, 8011 SW 127th Ave, Miami. Former player Giovane Elber will attend a session TBA. 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Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sloppy England give Tuchel food for thought on road to World Cup
Thomas Tuchel will put England's flops to the test in Tuesday's friendly against Senegal after admitting their sloppy 1-0 win over Andorra underlined how much they need to improve ahead of the World Cup. Tuchel's side were booed in Saturday's World Cup qualifier in Barcelona after failing to impress against a team ranked 173rd in the world. Advertisement Harry Kane's 50th-minute goal extended Tuchel's winning start to three games. But after underwhelming victories over Albania and Latvia in March, the Euro 2024 runners-up were well below their best in a dismal display that left Tuchel bemoaning his players' lacklustre attitude. "The last half-an-hour I don't like it at all because I think we lacked everything that is needed in a World Cup qualifier," Tuchel said. "There's lots to get better. At the moment everything is a learning period so we're smarter than before. "We will talk about it honestly and directly and try to do it better." Advertisement Senegal sit 19th in the world rankings and will pose the toughest test for Tuchel since he took charge at the start of the year. With only a small number of international breaks left before the 2026 World Cup, Tuchel won't go easy on his players, even though they looked fatigued after a gruelling domestic campaign. "I don't forget because there's not so many matches," he said. "I think it's necessary that we have a good look at it and then present in detail to the players what we don't like, and to present it in a video session what we have to do better and what are the standards and what we did good." Advertisement - 'We got away with it' - Kane has scored in all three matches under Tuchel, his former manager at Bayern Munich, with his latest effort extending the striker's England record tally to 72. But England captain Kane took little pleasure from his latest goal and echoed Tuchel's belief that the Andorra game should be used as a lesson. "It's down to us now to go analyse it, look back and try and learn from it because condition-wise it's going to be very similar to next summer -- dry pitch, warm weather, humid," he said. "We were just lacking quality, looked a bit fatigued both physically and mentally and, yeah, we got away with it because we're a good team and they had a couple of half-chances there where we didn't get punished. But ultimately, it wasn't good enough." Advertisement Tuchel wants England to play with a more dynamic approach that mirrors the swashbuckling style used by many Premier League teams. But he knows it will be hard to implement his tactics with so few opportunities to work with the players. "Absolutely. It's our second camp. I think we can do much better, all of us, and that includes me," he said. "It always takes two to tango, but we need to do better at breaking down deep opponents. We played now three times against a 5-4-1, but there are no excuses. "The lack of counter-pressing and the lack of ball wins and the lack of being aggressive in duels is basic in football. "If you don't show this, then it becomes more or less a game that we saw, which is not attractive, which does not have the quality that we want to show." smg/kca/pi
