Latest news with #Pulisic
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
‘Crazy' to question Cristian Pulisic's love for soccer, says USMNT teammate Tim Weah
USMNT forward Timothy Weah says that it is 'crazy' to question his and teammate Christian Pulisic's love of soccer after the national team captain opted to miss his side's Gold Cup tournament. As reported by The Athletic on May 22, Pulisic was not selected to be a part of the U.S.'s Gold Cup roster. Advertisement The 26-year-old winger seemingly wanted a break after a long season with AC Milan, as he had been nursing and playing through several slight injuries over the course of the Serie A campaign. Pulisic's decision has provoked some criticism, but he told CBS's Call It What You Want podcast that he was doing what he felt 'was best for my body.' The USMNT head coach, Mauricio Pochettino, did not select the forward for his side's pre-Gold Cup friendlies. The Argentine opted to pick one roster for both the June friendlies and the Gold Cup rather than allow Pulisic to play just the two friendlies before departing for a summer of rest. Weah, who is also missing the Gold Cup due to his participation in the Club World Cup with Juventus, said after his side's 5-0 victory over Al Ain on Wednesday: 'The situation with Christian, that's unfortunate. 'Obviously, you have all these guys talking behind the scenes, which, at the end of the day, we just want to play football. I think to question our love for the game or our love for the badge, it's kind of crazy, but we just got to let them speak and show it out on the field. 'I'm rooting for those guys at the Gold Cup. I'm following them, the whole way. And hopefully they're gonna bring the cup home.' The hope is that resting Pulisic in the Gold Cup will give him a better chance at being healthy for next season and, by extension, next summer's World Cup. Also absent at the Gold Cup is Weah's Juventus clubmate Weston McKennie. 'I think they have a camp group chat, but I'm always in touch with the guys, obviously,' Weah continued. 'I'm just keeping up with them, making sure that everything's on the right track and we're heading in the right direction. 'It's important to stay in touch. I wish I could have been there, but I have club duties. 'I actually haven't talked to Pochettino yet, but I'm always the guy to reach out to a coach and ask. I hope everything's going well, and I can't wait to be back in camp in September.' After the U.S.'s 5-0 opening day victory over Trinidad & Tobago, they are next in action against Saudi Arabia on Friday. McKennie and Weah will face Wydad in their second Club World Cup group stage game on Sunday.
NBC Sports
4 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
How to watch USMNT vs Saudi Arabia: Gold Cup stream link, TV channel, team news, prediction
The USMNT will try to make it two wins from two games to begin their 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup run on Thursday (9:15 pm ET), when they face Saudi Arabia at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. MORE — Pochettino hits back at Pulisic: 'I'm the head coach' Mauricio Pochettino's side snapped a four-game winless streak at home (first time since 1988) with a 5-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago on Sunday, thanks in large part to two goals from Malik Tillman and a pair of assists from Diego Luna. The midfield duo played a part in each of the USMNT's first three goals, all in the first half, as they make their case not only for a spot on the 2026 World Cup but perhaps a place in the starting lineup — even when Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie are back in the mix. How to watch USMNT vs Saudi Arabia live, stream link and start time Kick off time: 9:15 pm ET, Thursday How to watch: FS1, TUDN Stream online: or the FOX Sports app USMNT focus, team news What's great about the USMNT's performance against T&T is that they scored five goals (on a very healthy 3.48 xG) while holding 70 percent of possession in the game. Almost regardless of opponent, the A-team has too often struggled to generate chances (and score them) when the opposition puts five defenders and four midfielders behind the ball. What's even better is that only four of their 21 shots were taken from outside the box, meaning they worked the ball deep into the penalty area (only 8 shots outside 12 yards) and didn't settle for speculative long-range attempts. Saudi Arabia focus, team news Saudi Arabia, the lone team in the tournament invited as a guest, beat Haiti 1-0 in their Group D opener. Al-Ittihad striker Saleh Al-Shehri scored from the penalty spot in the 21st minute. Al-Shehri is the only player in the Arabian Falcons' current squad with double-digit international goals (17). USMNT vs Saudi Arabia prediction The Saudis were quite poor with their limited possession (43 percent) against 83rd-ranked Haiti and will likely have even less to work with against the Yanks. Patience will be key again, but Luna will deliver the goods again. USMNT 3-1 Saudi Arabia.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pulisic vs Pochettino? Coach fires back at USMNT players + MLS' Club World Cup Achilles heal
Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros bring on Yahoo Sports writer Henry Bushnell to recap a busy weekend for USMNT. The boys react to Mauricio Pochettino's fiery words for the players missing from his roster. Is there officially a rift between Pulisic and Pochettino? They also recap the USMNT's 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago and what the major takeaways are from their Gold Cup win. Advertisement Christian and Alexis then recap the opening weekend of the Club World Cup. PSG continued their inter-continental domination with a decisive win over Atletico Madrid. Inter Miami and the Seattle Sounders both failed to win their opening matches, are MLS salary cap rules holding them back? Later, Christian and Alexis react to the major transfer news and rumors. Which striker should Arsenal sign? Will Mathys Tel be a good fit at Tottenham? Which Premier League team will Alejandro Garnacho end up at? (8:00) - Mauricio Pochettino fires back at Pulisic (20:30) - Major takeaways from USMNT's Gold Cup win Advertisement (32:00) - Does Mexico's win against the Dominican Republic feel like a loss? (41:00) - FIFA Club World Cup opening weekend recap (55:30) - Transfer Round-Up: Arsenal, Alejandro Garnacho & more POCH FIRES BACK 🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts
Daily Tribune
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Pochettino defends Pulisic omission: ‘I'm not a mannequin'
AFP | Washington United States coach Mauricio Pochettino defended his decision to omit Christian Pulisic from recent friendlies against Turkey and Switzerland on Saturday, saying he alone was responsible for choosing his squad. AC Milan star Pulisic has been at the center of a simmering controversy over his request to be excused from US duty in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, whic h kicked off on Saturday. Former US international players including Landon Donovan have criticised Pulisic's decision, questioning his commitment to representing the United States. Pulisic hit back at his critics on Thursday, revealing that while he had asked to skip the Gold Cup he had been willing to play in the warm-up games -- only to be denied by Pochettino. The winger said that he had accepted Pochettino's decision but did not 'understand' it. Asked abou this decision to leave out Pulisic on Saturday, Pochettino said i t wa s not for players to pick and choose which games they wanted to play in.
New York Post
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
USMNT manager's pointed words for Christian Pulisic over Gold Cup controversy
U.S. Men's National Team boss Mauricio Pochettino isn't letting a single player 'dictate the plan' he has for the American squad, even if that player is Christian Pulisic. The ongoing controversy surrounding Pulisic's absence from the squad after deciding not to play in this summer's Gold Cup has been the focal point of American soccer. It's led to a number of former USMNT players, most notably Landon Donovan, to criticise Pulisic, who has said he's taking a step back after a grueling season with his club team, AC Milan. Pulisic added to the controversy when he appeared on CBS Sports Golazo Network last week and revealed that he had wanted to play in a pair of exhibition matches before the Gold Cup, but Pochettino declined the request, wanting to play the same squad all summer. United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino looks on during the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal match between the United States and Panama at SoFi Stadium on March 20, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Getty Images The American soccer star said he had understood that it was a 'coach's decision' and that 'I fully respect that,' but Pulisic added that he 'didn't understand it.' That didn't seem to bother Pochettino. 'Players don't need to understand,' Pochettino said, according to Fox Sports. 'Players need to listen and to stick with our plan. They cannot dictate the plan. 'He explained why he only wanted to be involved in two games and not the Gold Cup, and I respect that. I understand him. But I do need that he understands our decision. When I signed my contract with the [U.S. Soccer] Federation, I am the head coach. I am not a mannequin.' Christian Pulisic looks on during the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal match between the United States and Panama at SoFi Stadium on March 20, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Getty Images The dynamic between the new USMNT head coach and one of the biggest stars on the team in Pulisic has added to the already concerning issues surrounding the program as it prepares for the World Cup next year and continues to struggle on the pitch more recently. A loss to Switzerland last week sent the US into the Gold Cup on a down note, but it rebounded by beating Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 in its group stage opener on Sunday. Pulisic had noted in his interview that he had only had one conversation with Pochettino, but the coach brushed that aside, asserting that he tries to maintain the same level of communication with all his players. 'I love to be in communication with my players,' he said. 'I love to communicate, but at the same time, I want to [ensure] that all the players feel the same respect from the coaching staff and from myself.'
