The gloves have certainly come off between current and former players of the U.S. men’s national team, as Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah aired their feelings about the criticism from those deemed “evil” and a “cop-out.”
In a recent episode of the docuseries “PULISIC” on Paramount+, the AC Milan winger and attacking midfielder didn’t hold back on what some of the former players have lambasted on the team’s commitment, drive, and spirit following a series of friendlies and the Concacaf Gold Cup in the summer.
Some of the criticism has come from Pulisic’s decision to opt out of the regional tournament due to mental and physical fatigue after playing two seasons in Serie A. Other issues, such as players participating in the FIFA Club World Cup and recovering from injuries, drew the ire of well-known players such as Landon Donovan, Alexi Lalas, and Clint Dempsey.
“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: ‘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,'” Pulisic said.
Weah echoed his sentiments as well, and he didn’t mince his words when asked about the noise from the critics.
“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,” he said. “Those are the same guys that will turn around and shake your hand and try to be friendly with you.”
The U.S. will hopefully get itself together and prove the doubters wrong in the upcoming World Cup tune-up games. They will first play South Korea in Harrison, New Jersey, on September 6, followed by Japan three days later in Columbus, Ohio.
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