‘That's Way Out of Line’—Christian Pulisic Issues Strong Response to Donovan, Dempsey Criticism | OneFootball

After receiving heavy criticism for skipping the Gold Cup, Christian Pulisic insisted a “coach’s decision” kept him from representing the U.S. men’s national team in June.

Pulisic came under fire when he opted to prioritize his rest and recovery this summer instead of competing with the USMNT. The captain missed out on the Stars and Stripes’ two international friendlies against Türkiye and Switzerland, and will also not feature in the Gold Cup.

Along with Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Folarin Balogun, Antonee Robinson, Sergiño Dest, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Gio Reyna were also absent from Mauricio Pochettino’s roster due to injury, personal reasons or the FIFA Club World Cup.

Criticism for what many consider the “golden” generation of American soccer is at an all-time high, especially amid the USMNT’s poor form. Pulisic, the leader and captain of the squad, responded to the noise and gave more insight into his controversial decision to briefly step away from the team.

“Obviously, it sucks for me to miss out with the team,” Pulisic said in an interview with CBS Sports Golazo Network. “I wanna be part of the team always. But to be honest towards the second half and towards the end of the season, my body just started talking to me—and my mind—and I started to think what’s gonna be best for me leading into next year and going into the World Cup.

“Was that to play eight more games and then get no rest at all—go straight into preseason and then grind another year and go straight into the World Cup? That’s not what I felt best for my body.”

Pulisic is coming off a career-best season for AC Milan. The winger recorded 17 goals and 10 assists in 50 appearances across all competitions, logging over 3,000 minutes. He also helped the Rossoneri win the Italian Super Cup.

“The only point that I would make with that is that I did want to be a part of, at least, the two friendlies. I did speak with the coaches and I asked. I wanted to be part of the team in whatever capacity I could. They said no,” Pulisic said.

“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. I wanted to be a part of that, but that’s just the way things went and I had to make the best decision for myself and also in the long run for my team, even though clearly some people haven’t seen it that way.”

Christian Pulisic is prioritizing his rest and recovery this summer in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. / IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire

USMNT legends Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan vocally questioned the pride and commitment of the current generation of Stars and Stripes players. Pulisic did not hold back his response to the backlash.

“You can talk about my performances, whatever you want, but to question my commitment, especially to the national team, in my opinion that’s way out of line. But you know how it is. People forget really quickly,” Pulisic said.

At age 26, Pulisic has made 78 appearances for the USMNT and helped the Stars and Stripes win three consecutive Concacaf Nations League titles. He is also already the fourth all-time leading goalscorer for the USMNT; Pulisic has found the back of the net 32 times on the international stage.

Still, the USMNT’s recent string of poor performances is stealing all the headlines. Under Pochettino, the team is on a four-game losing streak, the worst spell in 18 years for the Stars and Stripes.