Landon Donovan, a prominent figure in U.S. Soccer history, has voiced strong criticism of Christian Pulisic's performance during the recent World Cup, suggesting that the star player "deserves" scrutiny for his impact in critical matches. Donovan's comments, made on his "Unfiltered Soccer" podcast with former teammate Tim Howard, addressed Pulisic's perceived shortcomings in the team's World Cup exit.
Donovan noted that Pulisic, considered the face of U.S. Soccer, did not deliver the expected impact in what he described as "perhaps the most important World Cup in the history of soccer in the United States." Pulisic experienced an injury early in the tournament, causing him to miss a game and play limited minutes in others before re-aggravating an ankle injury during the Round of 16 match against Belgium. Following the loss, Pulisic stated he could "rest."
"In the end, he’s your best player, he’s your star player, and it just didn’t happen for him... That’s just part and parcel with this role. It’s just disappointing, I was waiting for a moment for him… and it just didn’t happen," Donovan said. He added that Pulisic's struggles in big moments are "more than just a trend now."
Donovan also expressed strong disagreement with Pulisic's decision to leave the match against Belgium. "The reality is, he came out of a World Cup knockout game at home, with his leg still intact. Because you would have had to f--king drag me off the field," Donovan stated. "And I would have punched the doctor in the face and said, ‘You’re not taking me off the field. Put whatever you need to put in me, and I’m staying on the field.’"
Howard offered a more reserved but still critical assessment, calling Pulisic a "nice footballer" but implying a lack of decisive playmaking in crucial situations. Pulisic's World Cup record includes one goal in eight career games, and in the loss to Belgium, he reportedly lost possession 11 times in the first half alone.