Carli Lloyd, a two-time World Cup winner, has doubled down on her criticism of USMNT winger Christian Pulisic, even after the star player's World Cup injury was revealed. Lloyd was among the first to critique Pulisic following the United States' elimination from the World Cup.
Pulisic faced criticism for his performances during the tournament, including turning the ball over eleven times before being substituted against Belgium. He also sustained a bone bruise and microfracture in his lower leg, according to US Soccer. Pulisic's post-match comments about having "time to rest" after the loss drew particular ire.
Lloyd responded to these comments by stating, "You rest when your playing career is over. Period." She further clarified her stance on social media, asserting, "I don't owe anyone an apology. My comment wasn't about his post-game interview. He skipped Gold Cup last summer because he wanted to rest and be ready for WC. He ended up resting the whole year. That's the facts. Nothing personal against him."
Pulisic entered the World Cup on the back of a less dominant second half of his club season with AC Milan. Despite scoring in a friendly against Senegal, he managed only one assist in the World Cup. He played 45 minutes against Paraguay before suffering an injury, missed the game against Australia, and appeared in the second half of the group stage defeat to Turkey. His impact against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 was minimal before his performance against Belgium.
Lloyd expressed her disappointment with the team's overall performance, describing it as "men against boys." She told The Athletic, "It's been tough because this group was supposed to be the one. Call them the golden generation or whatever you want. But if there was ever a World Cup where the U.S. men were going to break through, it was this one."
She added that the team appeared to lack confidence and control, which made the loss difficult to watch. The final score of 4-1 against Belgium, she noted, could have been significantly higher. The outcome was particularly hard for former players and those connected to the program given the high expectations for this team.