Latest news with #MarkPulisic
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Christian Pulisic, his father and Tim Weah rail against ‘evil' US soccer critics
Tim Weah, Christian Pulisic, and Mark Pulisic (Christian's father) all delivered searing takes on ex-US men's national team players who criticized the team during their recent run of bad form, with Weah deeming the pundits to be 'evil.' The trio made the comments in the latest epsiode of the Pulsic docuseries on Paramount+, the final episodes of which were released this week. The new episodes cover the national team from the 2024 Copa América, in which the US underperformed by exiting at the group stage, up through the 2025 Nations League final, where the US lost against Panama and Canada en route to a disappointing fourth-place finish in a competition they had won in each of the previous three editions. Following that tournament, Pulisic kicked off a media firestorm when he announced that he would skip the 2025 Gold Cup, the team's last competitive tournament before next year's World Cup on home soil, due to fatigue after a second-straight 50-game season with Milan. Related: Christian Pulisic's father tells Landon Donovan to 'grow a pair' after criticism of son Pulisic's decision elicited strong critiques from ex-US players like Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, Charlie Davies, Jimmy Conrad, Herculez Gomez and others. 'In my opinion (they) disrespected me in a lot of ways, and completely forgot about what I've done for this national team for 10 years,' Pulisic said in the widely promoted docuseries covering nearly every aspect of his still-ongoing career, including extensive time spent on his breakthrough with the US national team. The series also includes many segments focused on Pulisic's personal life, and the role his family plays within his inner circle. His father, Mark, was a former professional soccer player, and he spoke up forcefully for his son. 'These [pundits] want clicks, social media, 'subscribe to my channels,' 'listen to my podcasts' or whatever. I think they should look in the mirror and look at their last performances for the national team before they start talking shit,' he said. 'It's jealousy. People want to be in his shoes, and they'll find any reason to bring him down. But Christian doesn't give a shit what anyone says.' Related: The US men's national team has more of the last thing it needs: sports dad drama Christian also repeated a retort he used earlier this year, in an appearance on CBS Sports' Call it What You Want podcast, which had been heavily critical of his decision to withdraw from the Gold Cup 'I'd say the most annoying thing, and for me the biggest cop-out of all time, is when all pundits say 'they didn't want it,' 'they didn't have the heart,' 'back in our day we would fight and we would die on the field,' he said, insisting again that national team results affect him deeply. The most scathing retort, though, came from winger Tim Weah. 'I think those guys are chasing checks, and for me I just feel like they're really evil,' he said. 'They've been players, and they know what it's like when you're getting bashed. Those are the same guys that'll turn around and shake your hand and try to be friendly with you at the end of the day. Don't get me wrong, I respect all of them. They were players I looked up to. But quite frankly, the guys before us didn't win anything either … Christian himself has had a better career than every single one of the guys that speak negative on us.' Pulisic finished last season as one of Milan's best players in a season when the team won the Supercoppa Italia but lost in the Coppa Italia final, lost in the knockout round of the Uefa Champions League, and finished eighth in the Serie A table. The team will not play in European competition this year, with Pulisic missing time in preseason due to an ankle injury.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Christian Pulisic, his father and Tim Weah rail against ‘evil' US soccer critics
Tim Weah, Christian Pulisic, and Mark Pulisic (Christian's father) all delivered searing takes on ex-US men's national team players who criticized the team during their recent run of bad form, with Weah deeming the pundits to be 'evil.' The trio made the comments in the latest epsiode of the Pulsic docuseries on Paramount+, the final episodes of which were released this week. The new episodes cover the national team from the 2024 Copa América, in which the US underperformed by exiting at the group stage, up through the 2025 Nations League final, where the US lost against Panama and Canada en route to a disappointing fourth-place finish in a competition they had won in each of the previous three editions. Following that tournament, Pulisic kicked off a media firestorm when he announced that he would skip the 2025 Gold Cup, the team's last competitive tournament before next year's World Cup on home soil, due to fatigue after a second-straight 50-game season with Milan. Pulisic's decision elicited strong critiques from ex-US players like Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, Charlie Davies, Jimmy Conrad, Herculez Gomez and others. 'In my opinion (they) disrespected me in a lot of ways, and completely forgot about what I've done for this national team for 10 years,' Pulisic said in the widely promoted docuseries covering nearly every aspect of his still-ongoing career, including extensive time spent on his breakthrough with the US national team. The series also includes many segments focused on Pulisic's personal life, and the role his family plays within his inner circle. His father, Mark, was a former professional soccer player, and he spoke up forcefully for his son. 'These [pundits] want clicks, social media, 'subscribe to my channels,' 'listen to my podcasts' or whatever. I think they should look in the mirror and look at their last performances for the national team before they start talking shit,' he said. 'It's jealousy. People want to be in his shoes, and they'll find any reason to bring him down. But Christian doesn't give a shit what anyone says.' Sign up to Soccer with Jonathan Wilson Jonathan Wilson brings expert analysis on the biggest stories from European soccer after newsletter promotion Christian also repeated a retort he used earlier this year, in an appearance on CBS Sports' Call it What You Want podcast, which had been heavily critical of his decision to withdraw from the Gold Cup 'I'd say the most annoying thing, and for me the biggest cop-out of all time, is when all pundits say 'they didn't want it,' 'they didn't have the heart,' 'back in our day we would fight and we would die on the field,' he said, insisting again that national team results affect him deeply. The most scathing retort, though, came from winger Tim Weah. 'I think those guys are chasing checks, and for me I just feel like they're really evil,' he said. 'They've been players, and they know what it's like when you're getting bashed. Those are the same guys that'll turn around and shake your hand and try to be friendly with you at the end of the day. Don't get me wrong, I respect all of them. They were players I looked up to. But quite frankly, the guys before us didn't win anything either … Christian himself has had a better career than every single one of the guys that speak negative on us.' Pulisic finished last season as one of Milan's best players in a season when the team won the Supercoppa Italia but lost in the Coppa Italia final, lost in the knockout round of the Uefa Champions League, and finished eighth in the Serie A table. The team will not play in European competition this year, with Pulisic missing time in preseason due to an ankle injury.
Fox News
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Landon Donovan, Christian Pulisic, and the drama over USMNT stars not playing
The faces of two different generations of the United States men's national soccer team are engaged in a bit of a drama. While commenting on Portugal's celebration in its win over Spain in the UEFA Nations League final for FOX Sports on Sunday, USMNT legend Landon Donovan took an implied dig at Christian Pulisic and other U.S. players for their decision to sit out the upcoming Concacaf Gold Cup. "This is what it means to represent your country," Donovan said as the broadcast showed Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal teammates celebrating the triumph. "This is what it means. And if you don't want to take this as a professional soccer player, as someone who gets the opportunity to wear that jersey and take it seriously and responsibly, then don't come in. This is what it means. "[Ronaldo's] 40 years old. He's played a long ass season. He's tired. He's out there grinding. Hurt himself in the process, and I can't help but think about some of our guys on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It's pissing me off." Even though Donovan didn't name Pulisic or any other current USMNT player, Pulisic's father certainly viewed it as a slight. Mark Pulisic fired back at Donovan in an Instagram post on Monday, posting a screenshot of him asking ChatGPT why Donovan took a sabbatical in 2012-13. "Landon Donovan took his sabbatical because he was feeling both physically and mentally exhausted after years of intense competition and the pressure that comes with being a top athlete," ChatGPT replied to the elder Pulisic's question. "He'd been playing professionally from a young age and had participated in multiple World Cups, so he felt the need to step back and take some time for himself. This break allowed him to rest, travel, and ultimately return to the game with a refreshed mindset." While the younger Pulisic hasn't commented on Donovan's remarks, he seemed to co-sign his father's sentiments. He liked the post his father made on Monday, drawing more attention to the matter on social media. Pulisic, 26, had a career year for AC Milan in 2024-25, leading the club in goals (17) and points (27) across all competitions. He also played in 50 matches for his club team, logging a career-high 3,650 minutes this past season. USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie also came to the defense of Pulisic following Donovan's remarks. McKennie will also miss the Gold Cup, but he's playing for his club team, Juventus, in the Club World Cup. Other USMNT stars like Antonee Robinson (knee surgery) and Yunus Musah are also missing the Gold Cup. "Obviously, none of us take for granted playing for the national team. None of us want to lose games," McKennie told USA Today on Monday. "All of us want to compete. And for me, it's a little bit, I won't say sad, but as a former national team player, I think as a national team player pool – previous, present – I think it's more about trying to build or even say something like that to a person directly rather than putting it out there. "That's just my opinion because we've all been through those moments, even when comments about us losing the Nations League were made by many players from before, but they've had the same thing on a bigger stage with not qualifying for the World Cup." Donovan's comments were the latest made by a key member of a previous generation of USMNT soccer criticizing the younger stars who asked to be excluded from the roster due to rest. Former USMNT star Clint Dempsey said that while he's a fan of Pulisic and other players, he questioned their competitiveness following their decision to pull out of roster consideration for the Gold Cup earlier in June. "In terms of his situation, I can't say what it is, I don't know the ins and outs of it," Dempsey told the "Men in Blazers" podcast. "But in terms of my situation, when I played in Europe and came back, there were times where I was tired. I had to get a PRP injection in my adductor. I had to maybe rest for some of the friendly games so that I could be fit to play in the tournaments. "Whether it was Gold Cup, whether it was Copa [América], whether it was Confederations Cup, whether it was the World Cup. Like I wasn't gonna miss competitions. That's just the kind of guy that I always was. So for me, I don't understand it because that wasn't my mentality. I always wanted to play in those games." FOX Soccer analyst Alexi Lalas, a former USMNT defender and two-time World Cup veteran, also criticized Pulisic. "I don't understand how a player turns down the chance to represent his country when it needs him most, especially at such a crucial time," Lalas said on FOX Sports' "State of the Union" podcast. "This is a tough blow for Pulisic's image and for the team — when they need a positive presence, this summer should have been the perfect opportunity to build experience ahead of the World Cup." Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.
Daily Mail
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Christian Pulisic's DAD takes aim at Landon Donovan over criticism of AC Milan star pulling out of national team duty - and tells retired star to 'grow a pair' in fiery social media post
Christian Pulisic 's dad has leapt to the defence of his AC Milan star son and fired back at Landon Donovan as a row over US national team duty rumbles on. The former Chelsea winger came under fire from retired star Donovan after ruling himself out of Gold Cup action in 2025 after a long campaign in Italy with Milan. Donovan made comment about the decision, without explicitly naming Pulisic, but it was enough to draw the ire from the winger's father, Mark. During FOX's coverage of the UEFA Nations League final, Donovan said: 'This is what it means to represent your country. 'And if you don't want to take this, as a professional soccer player and someone who gets the opportunity to wear that jersey and take it seriously and responsibly, then don't come in. 'This is what it means. He's [Ronaldo] 40 years old, he played a long-a*s season, he's tired, he was out there grinding and hurt himself in the process. Mark Pulisic took to social media and told Donovan to 'grow a pair' over a criticism 'And I can't help but think about some of our [USMNT] guys on vacation right now, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It's p***ing me off.' In response, Mark Pulisic took to social media and told Donovan to 'grow a pair' as he brought up Donovan's sabbatical from the national team during his own career. Back in 2013, Donovan missed two World Cup qualifiers due to an extended off-season sabbatical - before later being left off of the squad by Jurgen Klinsmann. Taking to social media this time, Pulisic Snr wrote: 'This guy is talking about commitment... look in the mirror + grow a pair and call names out or are you afraid next time you want an interview you will get rejected again'. Accompanying his post on X was a screenshot of an interaction with ChatGPT, where he has asked: 'Tell me about Landon Donovan's sabbatical and why he took it'. The AI response claimed that former LA Galaxy forward 'was feeling physically and mentally exhausted' and 'felt the need to step back and take time for himself'. Pulisic's father has never been one to shy away from the limelight and, during the winger's time at Chelsea in 2022, spoke out over his lack of playing time. Mark Pulisic wrote: 'The sad thing is he loves the club, teammates, and London... puts his heart and soul into being a pro. Onwards and upwards my boy... big six months ahead..' The winger would go on to leave Chelsea that summer and join AC Milan, where he has since recorded 32 goals and 23 assists from 100 appearances. In the first of two warm-up matches before this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup, the USMNT suffered a 2-1 defeat by Turkey on Saturday. It was a performance reflective of the squad that head coach Mauricio Pochettino selected - with multiple USMNT starters not available due to recovering from injuries or being tied to clubs competing in the Club World Cup. While the USMNT hasn't sent its best to the Gold Cup in over a decade, the performance in Connecticut showed that the depth in this team is shallow.
CNA
09-06-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Pulisic's dad fires back at Donovan
Christian Pulisic's dad Mark hit back at Landon Donovan on Monday after the U.S. soccer great appeared to criticize the midfielder for his decision to sit out the upcoming Gold Cup to rest after wrapping up his season with AC Milan. On Sunday, Donovan was a pundit for the UEFA Nations League final, in which Portugal beat Spain on penalties, for Fox Sports and made it clear he was unhappy with Pulisic's decision to ask U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino to leave him out of the Gold Cup squad. "This is what it means to represent your country," Donovan said on the broadcast while watching Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo. "This is what it means. And if you don't want to take this as a professional soccer player, as someone who gets the opportunity to wear that jersey and take it seriously and responsibly, then don't come in. This is what it means. "He's (Ronaldo) 40-years-old. He's played a long ass season. He's tired. He's out there grinding. Hurt himself in the process, and I can't help but think about some of our guys on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It's pissing me off." While Donovan did not mention Pulisic by name, it was clear he was referring to him as well as Yunus Musah and Antonee Robinson, who are also skipping the tournament for rest despite not being injured, according to USA Today. By way of response, Mark Pulisic asked ChatGPT to explain Donovan's sabbatical from soccer in 2012-2013, which ultimately led to him being left out of the 2014 World Cup squad. "Landon Donovan took his sabbatical because he was feeling both physically and mentally exhausted after years of intense competition and the pressure that comes with being a top athlete," the AI programme said in a response to the prompt. "He'd been playing professionally from a young age and had participated in multiple World Cups, so he felt the need to step back and take some time for himself. This break allowed him to rest, travel, and ultimately return to the game with a refreshed mindset." Mark Pulisic posted a screenshot of the ChatGPT reply on Instagram and Christian liked it. Donovan is not alone in being critical of Pulisic's decision with former U.S. great Alexi Lalas levelling similar criticisms, saying the team needs as much playing time together as they can get with the World Cup coming to the U.S., Mexico and Canada next year.
