United States coach Mauricio Pochettino says players cannot choose when they want to play for their country. AC Milan star Christian Pulisic asked to skip the Gold Cup but wanted to play two friendly matches first. Pochettino decided against letting the 26-year-old forward join the team for games against Turkey and Switzerland. Former American players Landon Donovan and Alexi Lalas criticized Pulisic for his request. The Milan player has appeared 118 times for club and country since leaving Chelsea two years ago.
Pulisic told CBS Sports he respected his coach but did not agree with the decision. He said people questioning his loyalty to America went beyond acceptable limits. Pochettino responded that players must follow his plans rather than make their demands. The coach explained his reasoning for dropping Pulisic from the friendly matches. He stated clearly that understanding his choices remains his job as head coach.
America lost both games without Pulisic against Turkey and Switzerland. The team suffered a 2-1 defeat before losing 4-0 to the Swiss squad. These results gave the Americans four straight losses heading into the Gold Cup. The United States opens tournament play against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday. The match takes place at San Jose with Pulisic missing from the roster.
Pulisic told CBS Sports he respected his coach but did not agree with the decision. He said people questioning his loyalty to America went beyond acceptable limits. Pochettino responded that players must follow his plans rather than make their demands. The coach explained his reasoning for dropping Pulisic from the friendly matches. He stated clearly that understanding his choices remains his job as head coach.
America lost both games without Pulisic against Turkey and Switzerland. The team suffered a 2-1 defeat before losing 4-0 to the Swiss squad. These results gave the Americans four straight losses heading into the Gold Cup. The United States opens tournament play against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday. The match takes place at San Jose with Pulisic missing from the roster.
