United States men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino has taken a firm stance on team participation, emphasizing that players cannot selectively decide when they will be available. His comments followed a situation involving Christian Pulisic, who offered to appear in two upcoming friendly matches but requested to skip the Gold Cup tournament.
Rather than accepting that proposal, Pochettino left the AC Milan attacker out of the squad for the friendlies against Turkey and Switzerland. He explained that the decision was communicated clearly and aligned with the coaching staff’s broader planning. “The players don’t get to choose the plan,” he stated on Saturday. “My job is to lead, not to stand by silently.”
The Argentine coach underlined that it wasn’t his responsibility to cater to players’ individual preferences. “Whether they understand or not is not the point,” he added. “What matters is sticking to the team’s structure and following direction. I am the head coach—I am not a mannequin.”
Pulisic reacts to omission and defends commitment
Christian Pulisic, who has featured in 114 matches for club and country since joining Milan from Chelsea in July 2023, voiced his surprise at the decision. Speaking to CBS Sports on Thursday, the 26-year-old said he respected the coach’s authority but admitted he “didn’t understand” why he was left out.
The U.S. forward also addressed recent criticism from former internationals Landon Donovan and Alexi Lalas, who questioned his dedication to the national team. Pulisic pushed back strongly, saying the accusations were unfair. “Those saying I don’t care about representing my country are way out of line,” he said.
Despite being left out of the current friendlies, Pulisic has not withdrawn from the program entirely. His initial proposal indicated a desire to manage workload rather than avoid national team duty altogether.
