{"id":143483,"date":"2025-08-13T22:22:12","date_gmt":"2025-08-13T22:22:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/143483\/"},"modified":"2025-08-13T22:22:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T22:22:12","slug":"pulisic-docuseries-inflames-clash-between-current-former-usmnt-players","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/143483\/","title":{"rendered":"Pulisic docuseries inflames clash between current, former USMNT players"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christian Pulisic, his father Mark and his U.S. teammate Tim Weah re-ignited the public spat between current and former U.S. men\u2019s national team players<\/a> in an episode of the \u201cPulisic\u201d docuseries released on Paramount+ Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Pulisic, in an interview filmed earlier this summer, called criticism of the team\u2019s effort and heart \u201cthe biggest cop-out of all time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Weah, speaking about former players-turned-pundits, said: \u201cI think those guys are chasing checks. And for me, I just feel like they\u2019re really evil. Honestly. Because they\u2019ve been players, and they know what it\u2019s like when you\u2019re getting bashed. Those are the same guys that\u2019ll turn around and shake your hand, and try to be friendly with you at the end of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mark Pulisic, Christian\u2019s dad, agreed: \u201cThese guys want clicks. It\u2019s social media, it\u2019s \u2018subscribe to my channel, listen to my podcasts,\u2019 or whatever.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The comments rekindle a war of words between generations that picked up steam following the USMNT\u2019s losses to Panama and Canada in March. Landon Donovan (now a podcaster and Fox Sports pundit) and Clint Dempsey (now a CBS Sports and Men In Blazers pundit<\/a>), the top two goalscorers in program history, were among the vocal critics.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so sick of hearing how \u2018talented\u2019 this group of players is and all of the amazing clubs they play for,\u201d Donovan wrote on X at the time. \u201cIf you aren\u2019t going to show up and actually give a s!%* about playing for your national team, decline the invite. Talent is great, pride is better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Weah, in an interview for the docuseries, said of the former players: \u201cDon\u2019t get me wrong, I respect all of them. They were the players that I looked up to. But quite frankly, the guys before us didn\u2019t win anything either.\u201d<\/p>\n

Weah added: \u201cChristian himself has had a better career than every single one of the guys who speak negative on us.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah open up about the criticism from some U.S. Soccer legends in the latest episodes of PULSIC \ud83d\udcfa\ud83d\udc40 @paramountplus<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/zqy2TujRQj<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 CBS Sports Golazo \u26bd\ufe0f (@CBSSportsGolazo) August 13, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Mark Pulisic, who previously inflamed the friction with an Instagram post<\/a> implicitly responding to criticism from Donovan, said of former players: \u201cI think they should look in the mirror and look at their last performances for the national team before they start talking s***.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s jealousy. People want to be in his shoes, and they\u2019ll find any reason to bring him down. But Christian doesn\u2019t give a s*** about what anyone says.\u201d<\/p>\n

The criticism of Pulisic crescendoed when he opted to skip this summer\u2019s Concacaf Gold Cup. Donovan, in the studio for a Fox Sports broadcast of Portugal\u2019s UEFA Nations League win over Spain, said during Portugal\u2019s emotional celebrations: \u201cI can\u2019t help but think about our guys on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It\u2019s pissing me off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pulisic, in an interview the following week<\/a> with CBS Sports\u2019 \u201cCall It What You Want\u201d podcast, defended his decision and addressed the criticism.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can talk about my performances, whatever you want, but to question my commitment, especially towards the national team, in my opinion, that\u2019s way out of line,\u201d he said then.<\/p>\n

Pulisic reiterated that sentiment in the docuseries: \u201cI\u2019d say the most annoying thing, and for me the biggest cop-out of all time, is when especially all pundits want to say, \u2018They didn\u2019t want it, they didn\u2019t have the heart. Back in our day we would fight and die on that field.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s frustrating. We haven\u2019t had as much success as we would like. I think we have had some really incredible moments. But we\u2019re out here fighting. And 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome after whatever you want. Come after my performance, whatever you want to say, but to talk about my commitment, the commitment that I\u2019ve given to this game, that I\u2019ve given to my national team for 10 years \u2013\u00a0that\u2019s the only thing that starts to get on my nerves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Christian<\/p>\n

Christian Pulisic takes on Liverpool last month as part of AC Milan\u2019s preseason preparations (Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong\/Eurasia Sport Images\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

With several former USMNT stars now prominent in American soccer media, the clash between them and active players could be an ongoing source of noise between now and the 2026 World Cup. Tyler Adams, speaking recently to The Athletic<\/a>, called the disconnect between current and former players \u201cthe strangest thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t even explain it,\u201d Adams said. \u201cI\u2019m not a social-media guy, so I don\u2019t follow anything, but when people bring up some of the things that are being said and some of the stories that are being created, it feels weird, because it feels like not long ago that every single one of those people were on board with, like, the direction that the federation was going and how well the players were doing. And it feels like any setback is (treated) like a disaster is happening. Do you know what I mean?<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that happens in football. I get it. Some people have jobs where their job is to speak about the sport, and if that\u2019s their opinion, that\u2019s their opinion. My goal is to try to create an environment, especially within our team, where guys feel like they can go out, be themselves, be comfortable. We\u2019re all on the same page and want to grow the sport in America. People\u2019s opinions are people\u2019s opinions at the end of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

His comments triggered former defender and Fox Sports pundit Alexi Lalas. Lalas, speaking on his podcast this week, said of Adams: \u201cI thought that this was a strangely immature, and naive, and weak kind of take. Not that he\u2019s defending Christian Pulisic, because we\u2019re all going to do that, but the way he seemed to think that there should be no criticism and we should all be kumbaya.\u201d<\/p>\n

The debate had quieted since the Gold Cup. But with European seasons commencing \u2014 Pulisic, who missed recent friendlies as a precaution, is preparing for AC Milan\u2019s first competitive match this weekend \u2014 and the USMNT set to reconvene early next month, it could heat up once again. Mauricio Pochettino\u2019s U.S. roster for September friendlies against South Korea and Japan will be released in two weeks.<\/p>\n

(Top photo:\u00a0Alex Grimm\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n