Christian Pulisic has returned to the United States men’s national team after opting out of the Concacaf Gold Cup due to fatigue and injuries. The star forward cited these reasons, but several former teammates criticized his decision as a lack of commitment.
Pulisic defended himself on the “Call It What You Want” podcast, stating that the criticism was unfair and that he had offered to play in two pre-Gold Cup friendlies. However, USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino said he never spoke with Pulisic since his decision, saying they needed to look forward.
Pulisic is now back on the roster for upcoming friendly matches against South Korea and Japan. Meanwhile, Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie has been left out of the squad. Pochettino explained that he knew McKennie well and wanted him to be more settled in his club before being called up.
According to Pochettino, the main reason for McKennie’s absence was not due to recent poor performances or the need to prepare for a World Cup with Juventus. Rather, it was because Pulisic had been more rested during the Club World Cup and could now be considered fresh and ready to compete.
Source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/46081825/usa-mauricio-pochettino-christian-pulisic