Christian Pulisic Credit: Reuters/Blake Dahlin
By Drew Lerner on

The soccer savior, once dubbed Captain America, isn’t getting off easy after again failing to perform on the biggest stage for his national team.

Christian Pulisic was subbed off in the 58th minute of the United States’ round-of-16 match against Belgium on Monday night after failing to recover from an apparent foot injury suffered a few minutes earlier, when Pulisic kicked the leg of a Belgium defender while winding up for a shot. It was a fitting end to Pulisic’s World Cup. The U.S. star played just 45 minutes during the group stage, subbing out at halftime against Paraguay with a calf strain, returned for a full 90 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32, and left the field less than an hour into arguably the most important game in USMNT history.

Things weren’t going well for Pulisic throughout his 58 minutes on the pitch. His first five touches of the game all led to turnovers, and he lost possession a game-leading 11 times in the first half. The U.S. was down 3-1 by the time he subbed off, and the writing was already on the wall that this team would once again exit the World Cup in the final 16.

After the game, Pulisic made matters worse for himself.

Speaking with Fox Sports reporter Jenny Taft, Pulisic explained his injury: “I mean, I just twisted my ankle, sprained my ankle. It’s just frustrating to end like that, of course. But, you know, now I get time to rest, so hopefully it’ll be okay.”

That last sentence, “now I get time to rest,” proved deeply upsetting to nearly every former American soccer player in the media.

Immediately following the game, Fox Sports analyst and former USWNT star Carli Lloyd offered the first of what would become a chorus of voices expressing frustration with Pulisic.

“I gotta be honest, I was a bit disappointed with Christian Pulisic,” she said. “I think whether he wants to be the star of this team or not, we didn’t see enough from him in this particular game and really the whole World Cup. Little glimpses here and there.”

Later, after a video of Pulisic’s injury explanation went viral, Lloyd offered a more scathing critique.

She was far from alone. Former USMNT star and Fox Sports analyst Landon Donovan was also quick to chime in.

“And in fact … there’s reporting that he asked to get subbed out of the game. I can’t confirm that, so I don’t know if that’s true or not. But the reality is, he came out of a World Cup knockout game at home with his leg still intact. …You would have had to f*cking drag me off the field,” Donovan said. “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.'”

Outside of former players, the sentiment was similar. FS1’s Nick Wright said it succinctly: “To have the man who is supposed to be the greatest player in the history of our country simply no-show in the biggest tournament of his life is just awful.”

Now, it’s fair to say that Pulisic’s comments were taken a bit out of context. He was asked directly about the injury. It’s quite possible that the injury was debilitating enough to warrant a sub, but isn’t all that severe, which seemed to be what Pulisic was saying.

That didn’t matter, however. Fair or not, Pulisic has been made to be the face of this USMNT. He’s in every commercial, every promotion, painted as the centerpiece of a once-in-a-generation team getting a golden opportunity to play in a World Cup on home soil. Even if that stardom isn’t something he asked for, it’s something he’s accepted.

It’s far from the first time Pulisic’s leadership and grit have been questioned. Just a year ago, he controversially opted to skip the Gold Cup, as did other top players, in order to rest and prepare for this summer’s World Cup. At that time, Landon Donovan similarly took him to task. “I can’t help but think about our guys on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It’s pissing me off,” he said.

Fellow Fox Sports colleague and USMNT legend Clint Dempsey echoed that sentiment. “I wasn’t gonna miss competitions. That’s just the kind of guy that I always was. So for me, I don’t understand it because that wasn’t my mentality. I always wanted to play in those games,” he said.

Pulisic’s showing at this summer’s World Cup seems to have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

“What I would say about him is when someone tells you or shows you who they are, you believe them,” former USMNT goalkeeper and NBC Sports analyst Tim Howard said following the loss to Belgium. “I think he’s a nice footballer. I still think he’s the best player on the team. Outside of that, you’d have to ask me very direct questions to which I could give you very direct answers.”

The near-universal reaction to Pulisic’s performance would seem to suggest that many in the know have felt this way about the American star for quite some time. As independent sports journalist Joon Lee put it, “This type of perception doesn’t just form overnight within team circles.”

For a sport and a team that need an American face, Pulisic filled that role. But after collapsing in the biggest moment of his career, the gloves are coming off, and the American soccer media is willing to eat one of its own. That’s not something this country has ever seen for a soccer star, but maybe it’s a sign of growth. No longer are Americans simply happy to have someone playing at top-level European clubs and (sometimes) performing at high levels. The country expects more out of its stars. Unfortunately, they may need to find someone not named Christian Pulisic.

About Drew Lerner

Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.

View all posts by Drew Lerner