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You're watching "Pulisic"

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Pulisic!

This atmosphere is incredible.

With the 60,000 plus crowd,

Christian Pulisic will look
for a big night tonight.

He's a big time player

coming off an incredible
season with clubs.

What a great moment for him
to show the level he has.

You know,
coming out of any World Cup,

there's only one winner.

Every other country walks
away without a trophy.

And for most of those teams
that means a rebuilding cycle.

But there is always
the possibility

that you're coming out

with some hope for the future.

And 20 months after
the World Cup in Qatar,

exactly two years
to the day, actually,

before the opening of the 2026
World Cup in the United States,

the U.S. found themselves
in a friendly against Brazil.

Christian Pulisic
leading the United States

as they face the
five-time World Cup champions.

But there are friendlies
and then there are friendlies

and this is one of them

because Brazil showed up
with the full squad stacked.

A final test
for both of these sides

before the Copa America begins.

Will the U.S. keep Brazil at
bay?

You very rarely get
a chance to see

what you're capable of against
the world's best

and you have
a big tournament at home

that comes right out.

We are underway in Orlando,

But the U.S. hung in
there blow by blow.

A fast and clumsy
start to this one.

I like this one
from Christian Pulisic,

just letting them know
there's gonna be a game here.

I mean, yeah, Brazil
took the lead first,

but then they made a mistake.

Fouled Pulisic
right outside the box.

Pulisic trying
to get the shot--

Free kick right
on the edge of the area!

And Pulisic made them pay.

Pulisic standing on the free kick,

having won the free kick.

It's Pulisic!

It's 1-1.

Christian Pulisic
with a goal to level it up.

And then
for the rest of the game,

the U.S. did not
back down for a second.

They even had the chance
to beat Brazil,

which would've been
only the second time in history

that they had ever done that.

But they ended up
with a draw

which is still, you know,
it's pretty impressive

considering the opponent.

I mean, first a draw
with England

in the World Cup and now Brazil.

So if you're a U.S. fan,

you've got to come out
of this game

with a lot of hope.

And the next thing on
the calendar is a big tournament

with a ton of big teams
on home soil.

Copa America.

But this is when the wheels
start coming off.

So the Copa America is
one of these tournaments where

if you're a national team,
you get to test yourself

outside of a World Cup.

World Cup, of course,
is every four years,

but in between those four years

you have tournaments like this.

And you're playing against
some of the biggest teams

in your region,
in this case CONCACAF

teams like Mexico and Canada.

But you're also competing
against South America,

the Brazils of the world,
the Argentinas of the world,

in a tournament
that actually matters.

Will the U.S. leave their mark

on this 108-year old
competition?

Tonight they begin their
fifth Copa America venture.

You know, if you're the US

and the U.S. fan base after
that World Cup performance

and then the friendly
against Brazil,

this is a tournament
that you're looking forward to.

And then add the fact that this
is a tournament on home soil.

The U.S. is expected to compete.

I mean, maybe not win it,
but who knows?

We are underway
here in Dallas.

So they start out
in a group of four.

You got Panama,
Bolivia, Uruguay.

At the very least,
the U.S. is expected

to come out
of this group, right?

Pulisic already trying
to get the crowd going.

And they've responded.

Going into Copa America,
I think we were excited

to have another opportunity
to play a major tournament

to compete in
and represent ourselves in

and go through
that pressure situation

that we were in in Qatar again.

And we felt like we were
a lot more equipped

for this opportunity.

It's really a chance
to show this region

and show the world
that we're, you know,

a team that, you know,
can be feared.

The first game in the group
is against Bolivia.

They beat them 2-0.

Christian has a goal,
he has an assist.

Pulisic has it back now,

through the traffic--
Pulisic! What a goal!

What a start
for the United States!

I mean, it goes pretty much
as well as could be expected.

Job done for
the man of the United States

on their opening day
of Copa America.

And then they head
to Atlanta a couple days later

to play Panama

and that's when the cracks
start to showing.

The pressure
is on already tonight

as the United States
takes on Panama.

Yeah, no,
the Panama game, I mean,

it started off--
it started off very well,

but Panama is a super
aggressive team

and you know,
they try to get at you,

they try to bug you out
on the pitch,

especially when you're
a targeted player.

And then, you know,
obviously I had a moment.

Red card for Tim Weah,

striking Roderick Miller

and the U.S. will play with 10

for the entire rest
of the night.

Weah draws the red card,
all of that mess...

Puts it back
in the middle, it's in!

Panama scored!

And the U.S. are stunned.

The pressure
finally breaks through.

They have been beaten tonight.

Panama coming from behind

after the 18th minute
Tim Weah red card

and a U.S. lead...

And now questions
are being asked

about the team and the manager.

The team, you know,
didn't get the job done

and I'm-- I'm lost for words.
I'm in shock.

And remember, this is on
the heels of the World Cup

where there was
all kinds of controversy

with Berhalter
sitting Gio Reyna,

thinking about
sending him home.

Reyna's parents mounting
accusations against Berhalter.

Berhalter's contract
isn't picked up.

Then he is rehired.

It was a mess.

So the team has
a bit of a cloud

hanging over them
the whole time.

And now they're in
a potential situation

where, to get out
of the group stage,

they have to beat Uruguay.

A team that's won this thing
like 15 times.

Can Team USA survive

and advance out of Group C?

We are ready to go
here in Kansas City.

Can these guys get the job done?

We are underway.

You know, it was
a complete disaster.

From-- from start to finish.

Richards, the big tackle,

didn't get there in time.

Yellow card, Chris Rich--

Well, now we gonna keep
playing on, but if the ref--

- That's ridiculous.
- Cannot give advantage.

You know, we got a red card
in the Panama game

and then the Uruguay game,

we had some pretty
questionable refereeing.

Tyler Adams is gonna
pick up a yellow card for that.

He's kind of bewildered.

Might have been
a handball there.

Looks like the referee
was thinking about calling it.

And right as it looked like
Pulisic is gonna go away--

Why don't they
let him play?

...to run,
now he calls it.

My gosh!

Greg Berhalter
is furious right now

and he should be,
that's insane.

I think that's about
every U.S. fan

watching this at home
right now.

But we weren't in a great spot.

And I think that all in all,

we didn't come in in good form.

And, you know,
we paid the price for it.

De La Cruz sends it in...

Turner, the save!

The rebound-- it's a goal.

At the end of the day, the game
plan from Greg Berhalter,

the mindset
from the team as well,

wasn't enough.

That's it.
That's the end.

The United States is done
at the Copa America.

I mean, for me,
the lasting image

of this tournament
from a U.S. perspective

is Christian going up
to the refs,

telling them to go celebrate
with the Uruguayans.

The ref doesn't offer
his hand back.

I think that just symbolizes
the disappointment,

the frustration that Christian
was feeling in that moment.

This is supposed to be
this group of American players

that is going to take
the men's side to new heights.

That this team is not
able to do anything better

than has done in the past.

That hurts to say.

So after all
this excitement

around the team for two years,

all of a sudden there's
all this doubt in the air

and people start thinking
that this team has not evolved.

I mean, they crashed out
at the group stage

at the Copa America.

This is an opportunity.

The U.S. rarely gets
opportunities

to test themselves
against top teams.

And when they do, if this
is a golden generation,

you have to do better

than crashing out
on the group stage, period.

Any time you're
in a major competition

and you're on home soil,

you don't even get out
of the ... group?

There's gonna be some criticism
that comes with that.

This version of
the U.S. Men's National Team

should have been able
to come out with a point.

They didn't.

They created the situation.

They have nobody else
but themselves to blame.

When the team loses,

they're gonna be
pointing fingers

and most of the time

it's gonna be either
at the coach

or whoever's made
a really glaring mistake.

I guess that's
gonna be the question.

How much of this
is on Greg Berhalter?

How much of this is
on the group of players?

Any time you fail
like that, you're accountable

and you leave yourself open
to potential firing.

And that's coaching
at the highest level.

We've been waiting to hear
on the decision

on the future of
Greg Berhalter

as the head coach of
the U.S. Men's National Team.

And yesterday
we got Greg Berhalter out.

It felt like this was coming,
this was inevitable.

I mean, that's just how
these things go sometimes.

Change is necessary.

But Berhalter was just
one piece of the puzzle.

There were still
a lot of questions

that needed to be answered.

Christian, I know
how much pride you take

in representing the country

and the fight tonight
from you guys,

but where do you guys go
from here?

All right,
this is crazy,

but I'm gonna list
for you your coaches,

so give me a second here.

Tuchel, Bosz, Stöger, Favre,

Lampard, Potter, Saltor.

Pioli, Fonseca, Conceição,

Klinsmann, Arena, Sarachan,

Berhalter, Hudson, Callahan.

Varas, Pochettino.

I mean, you haven't
been playing that long.

How will you have
that many coaches?

Makes me sound
like I'm the problem.

Um...

I'll tell you
when we're rolling,

the camera is in speed,
just waiting...

Okay.

Yeah, you would think
I had a--

had a, you know,
20-year career already,

but--

It's just the way--
it's the way it's gone.

I've been in clubs that,

um, you know, if things aren't
going well at the highest level,

it's a cutthroat business.

Without any further ado,

I would like
to officially welcome

Mauricio Pochettino

as the U.S. Men's Soccer
head coach.

Of course, coaches
can be on the tough end of it

because, you know,
they're the ones

that can get sacked quickly.

And players, obviously
that's not the case.

But I've enjoyed getting to know
a lot of different coaches.

I've had a lot
of great experiences,

a lot of difficult experiences,
just like anyone would.

And, yeah, it's all part of it.

It's about to create
something special.

That is the most
important thing.

We are here because
we want to win.

We are winners.

I'm excited.

I mean, how could you not?

Yeah.

We're talking
a real deal manager

for the U.S. Men's
National Team.

It's about damn time.

He's a coach
that's managed

at the highest level
in Europe.

Got to a Champions League final,

and he checks
a lot of boxes, really.

And Kane has done it!

Mauricio Pochettino,
just about

the only man in
the stadium who's unmoved.

Pochettino comes into
that locker room,

respect everyone.

You have to do
what the manager says.

Enough is enough.

What the previous coaching
staff did was amazing.

They worked really hard

to-- to provide the national
team the best tools.

And I think for us
now is to arrive

and to try to settle our ideas,
our principle.

It's not to change
the culture of the country,

it's not to change
the culture of the player,

it's not to change the culture
of the federation.

It's how we want
our players to behave

on the pitch
and off the pitch.

And everything, the situation...

It's so funny.

You hear different things
from different people.

And players that did play
with that coach,

they'll say
he's the best coach ever.

Players that didn't
play are, you know,

gonna have their
opinions on him,

and it could be
a tough transition.

I mean, I've gone through times

when new coaches comes in

and it feels like he doesn't
even know who I am.

And then other times
there's been new coaches,

and I feel like
I'm the main guy.

So you kind of learn
through it all,

and you just try to do
the best you can.

Okay, Seth, vamos.
Come on. Run it.

All right,
here we go, guys.

Let's go. Let's go.
Jog it out.

Goalkeeper...

Christian's perception
of the game, probably,

and what it takes to compete
is just gonna be different.

Than others on the team.

And I think the federation

and the team as a whole

is probably overdue for a bit
of a culture change, you know?

And Pochettino is
a notoriously intense manager.

Really fast,
the last four, five steps,

really fast and turn.

I don't think that's a bad thing
for the program right now.

The bare minimum for our team

has to be the level
at which we compete.

I don't think that can be
up for question.

And to have a manager
like him, you know,

representing the U.S. now

and wanting to help grow
the sport in America

is great for American fans

because they know
that they can rely

on someone that has done it
before with previous clubs.

I do think that
they have the quality

to do better
than what they're doing.

And I think that Pochettino

is gonna help them
be more organized

and play more
of an exciting style.

So I'm looking forward
to see what happens.

- Already?
- Yes

Yes. Okay. Come in.
Please, come in.

You know,
when U.S. Soccer announced

that they were making
a coaching change,

everybody obviously was hoping,

are they going to bring
in a big name,

someone to bring them
to the next level?

Hey, we are USA.

We have a culture of to win and
to be competitive.

And when we go Saturday
or we go today

or we go tomorrow, we are
going to compete like a team.

And six months after
Pochettino took the job,

he had his first real test,
the Nations League.

And the expectations
were very high for Pochettino

because this tournament
had only been around since 2021,

and the U.S. had won
every single final.

Pulisic!

Pulisic!

It is a milestone moment

for this marquee generation
of U.S. internationals.

Back to back
Nations League trophies.

- And he goes-- Look!
- Wow!

Tyler Adams on his first--

Gio Reyna!

The United States,
champions of CONCACAF again.

You know, for us, it was really

the coming of age of this group.

You know,
it became a mission for us.

You know, whether
it was the first, second,

or third title, you know,

it became, you know,
this is ours,

and we're not giving
this thing up.

A trophy that has had

only one name
etched into it,

and that is the United States.

Three straight CONCACAF titles.

So with the history of success

that the U.S. had had
at this tournament,

this really felt like a great
opportunity for Pochettino

to take the team to LA,
hit the reset button,

and show the world
what this team is made of.

Do you feel
extra pressure

about winning this tournament

due to the other editions that
you won?

You think
you're the favorite ones?

Yeah, of course.
We've won the last ones,

but honestly, we're just always
focused on the next.

We treat it like
we did the last.

We played against this
Panama team a few times.

Obviously they beat us
in Copa America.

They have a lot of ability,

A lot of strong players.

So we're excited
for the challenge.

Of course, the other teams
are gonna want to--

they're going to want
to take it from us

and we're gonna do our best
to prepare

and I think if we put on

good performance
after good performance,

that's just gonna put U.S. in
in the best spot

leading into the World Cup.

- Thanks, Christian.
- Thank you.

Get in, loser.

Sorry.

Let's go
to Christian's location,

Shall we?

Shall we?

Let's find this man
before he goes to lunch.

You might want
to buckle your seatbelt

before I get a ticket.

Like, how many you get
in Italy?

Let's kidnap him.

- I hate you.
- Ah, there he is.

What are you doing here, man?

- Hop in.
- Hop in?

- Yeah.
- I wasn't expecting company.

People running towards me
over there.

- Look at that.
- Hi!

- Shall we?
- Hi.

- How we doing?
- I'm good.

We're gonna go get lunch
and real quick.

- You in?
- I wish.

I had the busiest day in
the history of the universe.

They put, like,
these, like, neuro--

I don't understand it.

Like, sensors on you
or something.

And then they make you take,
like, a bunch of penalties

and they, like, try to,
like, distract you and stuff

and then, like, find your
point of, like, focus.

- Intense.
- When to, like, shoot

or something.
- That is crazy, dude.

I don't need any more
thoughts in my head.

- Before a penalty.
- I know!

I would be like--

I'd be like--

I'm just trying to put
this ball in that net.

Like, there shouldn't be
any other thoughts.

I got to go...

- All right, man.
- See ya!

Run, run, run.

I love having the
support of my friends and family

in these big moments.

But maybe sometimes it--
it feels like a bigger game

just because everyone's there.

- What's up?
- What's up?

And, you know,
there's so much buildup

and yeah, you get tickets
for everyone.

He's hungry, too.

- He's hangry.
- Yeah, he's hangry.

Maybe get him some In-N-Out
burgers since he's here.

But, um, I--
I live for those moments.

You want the family?

How are you? Good?

I love putting
on a good performance

in front of your family

and having everyone there after.

There's really
nothing like that.

You know,
your soccer family

is an extension
of your own family.

And they've watched me
grow up

just as my family
has watched Christian grow.

And they support me, you know,

on and off the field
in so many ways.

So, you know, obviously
it means a lot

when you have support from--
from your friends and family.

Yeah, I always like
call them my other sons,

'cause we've known them
for 10 years plus now.

So they always, you know,

call me Mama P
or Mama Pulisic.

It's just-- like they're--
they're like

part of our family now.

They've just been around
for so long.

Bust out the baby picture,
come on.

- Oh, baby pictures?
- Come on, just--

Just-- come on.

I'll give you baby pictures.

- Just one.
- Just one.

- Or two.
- Here. In the background.

It is great watching
all these guys and now,

you know, some of them
that have their own children.

Running around everywhere.

He's still--

Just connecting like that

to the things
that keep U.S. grounded,

those moments are truly
some of the most important.

You know, there's obviously
moments on the field, but,

um, to me, there's always
more important things in life.

- ♪ Oh, when the Yanks ♪
- ♪ Oh, when the Yanks ♪

- ♪ Go marching in ♪
- ♪ Go marching in ♪

♪ Oh, when the Yanks
go marching in ♪

- USA!
- USA!

Going into
the Nations League semifinal,

I think
the mindset was clear.

You know, you have two games,
a chance to win a trophy,

and we want to go
and try to win again.

Because that feeling,
you just kind of--

Yeah, you get addicted to it.

You wanna--
You wanna keep winning.

- ♪ We are the U.S. ♪
- ♪ We are the U.S. ♪

- Whoo!
- ♪ U.S. ♪

♪ The mighty, mighty U.S. ♪

When the U.S. walked onto
the field

for that semifinal
against Panama,

their FIFA ranking was 16.

Panama's 33.

- ♪ We are the U.S. ♪
- ♪ The mother... USA ♪

♪ The mother... USA ♪

So there's every reason
to believe

that the U.S.
was gonna go out there

and take care of business.

With the World Cup
on the horizon,

U.S. head coach
Mauricio Pochettino

arrives at Sofi knowing
that the stakes are high

with his team looking
for a four-peat.

USA, one, two, three.

- USA!
- Vamos.

You know, for me
what was really bizarre

was just how empty
the place was.

As a parent, you're in
the stadium

and being empty,

it was very odd since obviously,

obviously all the games
we go to in Europe,

you have packed stadiums.

Obviously seeing empty stadiums
when we're playing,

especially at home,
is a bummer.

I think it just kind of sucks
the energy out of you.

You need the stands.

That's supposed to be
your 12th player.

It just shows you
we still have a ways to go

with soccer in this country.

Whenever
you play at home,

you want to see stadiums
that are fully packed.

But I think moving forward,

if you want to have
the best chance

of selling out a stadium,

probably can't play
in a 90,000 seat stadium

on a Thursday afternoon.

We are underway

with this Nations League
semifinal.

It is the United States
and it's Panama.

I mean, the U.S. owned
that trophy for sure.

They won the last
three editions,

but you're not guaranteed
or given anything,

you know, so I know
every time they play

any opponent,
anything can happen.

And sure enough, that game,

they just struggled
to find a rhythm.

It's been a bit

of a frustrating afternoon
for Pulisic.

Not everything he's tried
so far has come off.

I find when he comes
to play in the U.S.

there is a spotlight on him,
you know?

He's one of the most important
players at his club in Europe.

He's also one of
the most important players

for his national team.

And that weight
never really dissipates.

There will be
a minimum of five minutes added

at the end of the 90 minutes.

Neither team able to find
that goal as yet.

It was an extremely
difficult game.

I mean we dominated the--

We had the ball the whole game.

It was a typical one of those,
you couldn't score.

Job still not yet done.

Carrasquilla...

And now Cecilio Waterman!

To me, eres mi ídolo.

Eres mi ídolo.

Panama looked
to have found a winner!

Panama looked to our very own

Thierry Henry
in both of the celebrations!

Panama look to have done it
to the United States again.

The entire match...

Make one mistake
and then, and then, boom.

There's the full time whistle.

For the first time,
the United States

will not win
the CONCACAF Nations League.

This is unacceptable.

This was
a lackluster performance.

This is on the players,

and this is on Pochettino.

It's just pathetic.

It's frustrating.

I mean, they'll say, you know,
"good job" when we win,

and if we lose, it's--
we're the worst ever.

So if you're not ready
for the fight

and you're not ready
for the aggression,

you're not gonna win
this sort of games.

I-- I'm just--
I'm so sick of it.

They're so talented,
they play at these great clubs.

I'm like, "Who cares, dude?"

You know who doesn't play
at great clubs?

The Panamanian players.

It sucks.
It sucks for sure.

Um, but I, I think we're doing
everything we can

and I've truly done
everything in my career

to try to help grow the sport.

I mean,
you think about us

not getting out of the group
of Copa America,

you think about us not even
getting to the finals

of this competition now.

How are you building
this fan base

to get behind this team?

- You look at the crowd--
- Are you yelling?

Oh, sorry. I'm mad.

I'm just frustrated
because you wanna feel

like the team is moving
in the right direction

and building for
the World Cup on home soil,

because you never are gonna get
get a bigger opportunity

than something like that.

Let's go.

You wanna show
this jersey?

- Oh, yeah, yeah.
- Tell me the story behind this.

So look, this is Christian's
first goal jersey.

Is he gonna
set it? Christian Pulisic!

The youngest American

in the modern era of the U.S.
National Team to score a goal.

17 years of age,

On the score sheet...

Kansas City.

Look at that.

You know, when Christian
and his teammates

flew into LA to play
in this tournament,

I don't think any of them

or the people that came to
support them

were thinking anything
less than the final.

But now with the loss to Panama,

they found themselves in
a very unfamiliar situation.

They were gonna be facing Canada

in the third place game.

Not exactly how anybody thought
that this one was going to go.

Let's go. It's happening,
it's happening...

- Ws.
- It's happening.

- Only dubs.
- Only dubs.

Let's do it. Let's go.

- It's happening.
- Let's go.

I mean, obviously
you're disappointed.

You're playing
in a third place game.

You know, who wants to play
in a third place game?

You know, so it's
disappointing but...

of course they went
in there to win.

It's never ideal
to play in a third place game.

Of course,
you want to be playing

for a championship and a trophy.

But at the end of the day,

I take that game a little
bit personally because,

you know, Canada beat us

the past couple of times
that we played them.

And for the people
that are buying tickets

to show up and watch us play,

you still want to put on
a display of some

level of quality.

You can't rest
on your laurels.

You have to be prepared

and continue to develop
and improve as a team

because everyone around you
isn't standing still.

Christian Pulisic
will wear the armband today.

Has a big job on his shoulders.

Mauricio Pochettino saying
after the last match

that he felt that Christian

could have given
a little bit more.

He said, "This is not
the Christian we wanted to see.

"I think he can do much better.

In the overall,
the team can do much better."

Low cross, a couple efforts,
and oh, shame!

And Canada lead the United
States by a goal to nil.

The action that Mauricio
Pochettino was looking for

still yet to arrive
in the form of a goal.

Diego Luna back for Agyemang!

And there's your response!

Diego Luna, the creator!

Might have been needed
on Thursday,

but sets up the equalizer.

Let's go.
Let's go, let's go.

Good defending.

The bounce doesn't go
his way though.

Another tackle in from Weah.

This one clean.

Slipped through,
David on the turn--

Jonathan David!

We've been the front
runners for it

for the past three or four years

and some things that we were
trying to work on,

some things
we're trying to change,

and through that
we're gonna have

a few difficulties
and a few setbacks.

And obviously this time around,

you know,
we had a different fate.

The full time whistle.

For the first time
since 1985,

Canada have beaten
the United States

in back-to-back meetings.

This CONCACAF Nations League
has been a major setback

to the United States program
as they finish fourth.

I mean, of course
going out like that

is disappointing, but he has
to continue to roll, you know?

He's got a lot of obligations,

but I know how important
it is for him

playing with the U.S. team
to wear that crest.

He takes a lot of pride

in being from the U.S.
and being American.

And this is the stage where
he always wants to perform.

He cares, you know, very deeply
about this team

and this country
and the fan base.

Today, captain of the team.
How did that feel?

Talk to me about
that responsibility.

I mean, uh, this--

Like, really this team
is everything to me.

Uh, you know?

I care so much for...

for this team, for this country.

I hope people know that
about me

and it's truly an honor.

So anytime I get to-- I get
to do it and lead this country,

it means a lot to me.

All right, Christian, good
luck the rest of the way.

Thanks, man.

So, you know, when
things go poorly, I mean,

it affects him a lot.

I think...

people may not see--

You know, he sometimes keeps it
close to his chest.

But, you know, the people around
him and close to him, he's--

It really weighs on him,
like, actually an insane amount.

It's not in your face!

Hi.

Hi.

You want me to put this away?

You know, I think every
big player in any sport

goes through moments like this

where they're questioned
by the fans, by the media,

maybe even by their teammates.

But you really can't assess
a player's career

until it's all said and done.

And the moment
that we're in right now,

this is Christian's,
truly his first big test.

Because after
the Copa America disappointment,

which was then followed
by disastrous results

in Nations League,

the fans and U.S. Soccer
and probably Pochettino himself,

had hope that
the team would right

the ship in the Gold Cup,

which is a CONCACAF tournament
made up of the U.S.

Mexico, Canada, and other
smaller nations in the region.

It's a very winnable tournament
for a U.S. team

that would include
Christian Pulisic.

But if Christian was already
the center of attention

and controversy,
then his next decision

would elevate that
to a whole other level.

Where-- Where you
going? Where are you going?

You can't walk up to me
with a tripod like.

Like, what--

What happened yesterday
with the media?

Oh, my gosh.
Oh, what a big story.

There's no story.

You know,
living under a microscope

like Christian does,

it's much more challenging,

you know, I think
maybe than people imagine.

But this is your opportunity

to explain it as it happened.

I mean, every decision
he makes is scrutinized.

It's insane.

It's insane.

In U.S. soccer,
the U.S. Men's National Team

will look to bounce back
from disappointment

in the Nations League
with this summer's Gold Cup,

but Christian Pulisic
reportedly won't take part.

According to multiple reports,

Pulisic will take the summer
to recover from a season

in which he'll likely
hit 50 matches

for the second straight season.

My first reaction when
I heard that

he wasn't coming to Gold Cup,
I was a little bit surprised.

Um, only because of the way

things went
in the Nations League.

Gold Cup, all of a sudden,

became a little bit
more important.

I, personally,
and I know this is probably

unpopular with--
and I know it is

with a bunch of my old
teammates,

a bunch of guys
that are pundits now.

I was okay with it,
because at some point,

a guy needs a rest, right?

I did want to be a part
of at least the two friendlies.

I did speak with the coaches,
and I asked,

and I wanted to be a
part of the team

in whatever capacity I could.

And they said no.

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, yeah, that's just the way
things went

and I had to make
the best decision

for myself and also, you know,
in the long run for my team.

At the end of the day,
you get a situation where

if America makes
the Gold Cup final.

When the Gold Cup final ends.

Christian Pulisic
hasn't had a holiday.

I mean, I paint
the picture for you.

He comes back into
a Milan situation

three weeks after
pre-season has started

or a month after
preseason has started,

and players playing
directly in his position,

affecting his ability to be
in a starting lineup or not,

may already have a month's
training under their belt.

And then what?

It is a lot.

It's hard to keep up
with playing every single game.

I mean, you see a ton
of injuries,

but that's--
This is what it is.

This is, you know,
how the business works.

People want to see us play.

And I think it's just a decision

that I had to come to,

to, uh, to do the best thing
for myself

and look out
for myself for once.

But I think everyone has,

you know, had their opinion
on me and just--

You know, really, I mean,
in my opinion,

just disrespected me
in a lot of ways

and just completely
forgotten about what I've--

what I've done for this
national team for 10 years.

It's--
It sucks.

You don't pick and choose

which games you wanna play
for the national team.

It's not a--
It's not an option.

You play for the national team
or you don't.

The manager calls you up.

Do you accept?
Do you not accept?

You think Messi gets to choose
when and when he doesn't play?

Before it used to be country
was before a club.

I'm seeing a shift right now

where the focus on so
many of these players

is on club over country.

And sometimes the country

becomes a bit
of an inconvenience.

And that sickens me,

sickens a lot of other people.

They're going about it
the completely wrong way.

I've already spoken about
how unlikable this team is.

What you don't want
is the fan base

to think that the face of U.S.
soccer is the most unlikable.

And that's where
you're going down.

Christian Pulisic
is going to be fine.

He's a big boy, all right?

He's going to take
his licks right now.

He may hit back, I don't know.

And I think he's going to be
there next summer.

And maybe in a strange way,

this puts the onus on
Christian Pulisic

to-- to bring it
because he's rested.

When you finally made
the decision,

did you know you were gonna
get a little bit of this?

And then-- and then how do you
react to all of that stuff?

Because, quite honestly,
these guys were

your teammates at one point.

I don't know,
I guess it is--

it is tough because I, you know,

I looked up
to those guys growing up.

Some of these guys
were my idols,

and, you know, I respect them so
much as players, and it's--

Does it hurt me?
Am I surprised by it?

I don't know.
Not really.

You know, of all things, you can
talk about my performances,

whatever you want,
but to question my commitment,

especially towards
the national team,

in my opinion,
that's way out of line.

This team lacked
emotion, lacked intensity.

For me, there just
wasn't enough bite,

enough sense of urgency.

If you need 70,000,
90,000 fans,

when you put on the U.S.
Men's National Team jersey

to be inspired,

you don't deserve to be part
of the national team.

I'd say the most
annoying thing, and for me,

the biggest cop out
of all time,

is when especially, you know,
all pundits want to say,

you know,
they didn't want it,

they didn't have the heart.

You know, back in our day,

we would fight and
we would die on that field.

When we were on the field,
there were guys on the field,

all over the field,

who, if they didn't
perform well,

their club team probably lost.

But there's not a lot
of guys who fall into that.

I think those guys
are chasing checks.

And for me, I just feel like
they're really evil, honestly,

because they've been players
and they know what it's like

when you're getting bashed.

And 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.

These guys want clicks.

Social media it's--

Subscribe to my channels,

listen to my podcasts
or whatever.

Don't get me wrong,
I respect all of them.

I mean, there were players
that I looked up to,

but quite frankly,
the guys before us

didn't win anything either.

I think they should look
in the mirror

and look at their
last performances

for the national team before
they start talking shit.

That's why a lot of times,
I'm gonna be honest,

I'd rather watch
the game on mute.

You look at Christian.

Christian himself has had
a better career

than every single one of the
guys who speak negative on us.

It's jealousy. You know, 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.

If you went
and you read the media,

you'd probably think this
was the end of the world.

But, like, in my head,
I'm going back,

and I'm right back into it
at my club.

I got other things
I'm focusing on.

I want to win. I want to win
in everything that I do.

It's a very unique time,
I think,

in U.S. men's soccer history,

and in a lot of ways, very sad.

You have former players

criticizing current players,

the current players
pushing back,

in some cases,
very aggressively.

But not all, players,
like Tyler Adams,

for example, were actually
okay with the criticism.

I'm not one to
go back and forth

about what's right and wrong
about what people say

about players in the game,

but I think in that scenario,

when it comes
to the national team,

people, pundits, fans, they're
looking for very little.

It's to just represent
the country

in the right way and compete.

There's a competitive element

that's missing
with this team.

Do they even want
to be out there?

They're not judging
the level of play and

the quality that we have
as individuals and players.

It's the competitive nature,

the heart, the bare minimum
that you have to do.

You have to run, you have
to compete, you have to tackle.

So I think it's fair criticism.

At the end of the day,
yes, it would have been great

to have Christian Pulisic
play with the U.S.

in the Gold Cup, of course.

Win!

But the truth of the matter is,

all that anybody will remember

is what happens the summer
of 2026 at the World Cup.

Make it deep into
the tournament,

they inspire an entire nation.

None of this matters.

It'll just be
a small footnote

in the history of U.S. soccer.

However, if the U.S. go out
and they underperform,

then things are gonna get
very interesting

after the World Cup.

It's frustrating.

We haven't had
as much success as we like.

I think we've had some really
incredible moments.

Pulisic!

Oh, lovely hat trick!

What a night!

But we're out here fighting.

Christian Pulisic,
with a decisive moment

against the old enemy
in a World Cup qualifier.

I think if people knew what
it actually meant to me

and what it meant to our team
and all the players,

they would never question us.

Hey, we don't let up.

Come on...

- One, two, three...
- USA!

Come after whatever
you want, you know,

come after my performance,
whatever you want to say.

but to talk about
my commitment...

Pulisic!

Scores!

The commitment
that I've given to this game,

that I've given
to my national team,

you know, for 10 years...

But he paid the price!

That's the only thing that--

that starts to get on my nerves.

But to be honest,

it just fuels me
to get back on the field

and just shut everyone up

and show everyone
what I'm about

at the end of the day.

♪ It's all fun
and it's all game ♪

♪ Goes to hell,
no one's to blame ♪

♪ I think I've seen
this happen once before ♪

♪ I don't want
to see it anymore ♪

♪ When you think
you've had enough ♪

♪ It goes no ♪

♪ When you think
you've had enough ♪

♪ There comes another one ♪

♪ Stumbling up the steps
and through the door ♪

♪ Don't think I could take
too many more ♪