While Pulisic Gets A Rest, USMNT Will Need To Get Creative In Gold Cup

He is not Lionel Messi.

Far from it.

But he is the closest thing the U.S. Men’s National Team has to the Argentine legend.

Christian Pulisic can score goals and create them as well, and he is the key to the team’s success, whether it be a friendly, the upcoming Concacaf Gold Cup or next year’s FIFA World Cup.

OK, maybe not the Gold Cup.

On Thursday, head coach Mauricio Pochettino announced that Pochettino will not be on the team’s roster for the biennial tournament.

The reason?

Rest.

Pulisic needs rest.

Pulisic is expected to play for A.C. Milan in the team’s final match of the Italian Serie A season on Sunday. It will be his 50th game of the 2024-25 season. He is 49 minutes away from playing his most minutes in a campaign.

But he won’t play for the U.S. in June and perhaps July.

“Many people can say it’s really important for us to be all together for the last time [in a tournament] before the World Cup,” Pochettino said during a Zoom media conference on Thursday. “But always we always listen to the player and then, of course, we take the decision. … We decided the best for him, the best for the team, the best for the national team is the decision that we make.”

U.S. Soccer Federation sporting director Matt Crocker said in a statement that Pulisic approached the organization about “the possibility of stepping back this summer.”

Here is his full statement:

“Christian and his team approached the federation and the coaching staff about the possibility of stepping back this summer, given the amount of matches he has played in the past two years at both the club and international level with very little break.

“After thoughtful discussions and careful consideration, we made the collective decision that this is the right moment for him to get the rest he needs. The objective is to ensure he’s fully prepared to perform at the highest level next season.”

It’s prime time for Pulisic

So Pulisic will get a breather between now and when the Serie A season starts up later this summer.

At the age of 26, Pulisic is in his attacking prime, the straw that stirs the USMNT’s drink, to paraphrase baseball legend Reggie Jackson.

As one of the handful of standouts for an underachieving A.C. Milan team that will finish well beyond the Italian Serie A champion (either Napoli, 79 points, Inter Milan, 78 points), entering its season finale at home against Monza on Saturday, May 24. Given its history, roster and expectations, A.C. Milan is a squad that failed miserably in its attempt to secure a spot in a European competition for the 2025-26 season.

But you can’t blame Pulisic. He has recorded 17 goals and 12 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions, an impressive total for anyone, let alone an American, in one of the top leagues in the world.

He is best when he is running toward the net with or without the ball, bolting toward the opponent’s net. He finds ways of getting into position to take the best possible shot. Like all goal-scorers, Pulisic isn’t about to complain about slotting home a rebound or burying the ball behind a goalkeeper when there’s chaos in the penalty area, or via a high-percentage penalty kick.

Pulisic himself has some big decisions to make in the offseason. A.C. Milan wants to extend his contract, but there have been reports in the Italian media that he wants to find another club. Rumors are flying around that a return to the Premier League in England might be in the offing. He played for Chelsea for four seasons before joining the Rossoneri.

Some individuals would love to see to put Pulisic in bubble wrap, so he can be healthy for the World Cup, because he has been known to pick up injuries. Unfortunately, that’s not how the soccer universe works because players need to be in form to tussle in what many call The Greatest Show on Earth – aka the World Cup.

For the USMNT to be successful, which is reaching the World Cup quarterfinals, the team will need a fit and in-form Pulisic.

Here is a dose of reality:

There is no one on the U.S. squad who has shown he can duplicate Pulisic’s ability to score and set up goals on a consistent basis. Take him out of the equation, and the U.S. probably will struggle in high-profile competitions, such as the FIFA World Cup.

Which brings us to Pochettino’s Gold Cup decision, which has infuriated many USMNT supporters already.

But that is a risk he is willing to take in the team’s final competition before next year’s World Cup, a team that has not played close to expectations in the last two tourneys – 2025 Copa America and in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in March, in which the team failed to win its semifinal or third-place match.

Without the five aforementioned key players, and attacking ones at that, Pochettino will need to be creative in putting together a team that can go deep in the tournament.

Not getting out of the group this time? That would be a disaster and embarrassing. It has never happened to a USA Squad at the Gold Cup.

The U.S. needs an excellent showing in the Gold Cup to erase the doubt that has been cast upon the team.

Is there a game-changer in the house?

So, who might emerge as a game changer?

Will it be Real Salt Lake’s entertaining midfielder Diego Luna?

Or perhaps Real Betis midfielder Johnny Cardoso, who has enjoyed a solid season in Spain’s La Liga.

Or maybe Charlotte FC forward Patrick Agyemang, who has shown much promise in previous matches this year.

Or perhaps Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who has emerged as in important piece of the Major League Soccer team’s journey to the Concacaf Champions Cup final. And yes, he is the son of former USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter.

Or maybe someone else.

One thing is certain: The U.S. has limited amount of time in building chemistry and cohesion between the players. From July to next June, there will be no other competition to put players and the team under pressure.

As for results, Pochettino will be charged in achieving a successful Gold Cup, if not reaching the final.

The U.S. should be able to accomplish that.

If the American men can’t accrue victories against Concacaf teams on U.S. soil, how will they fare against the world’s best with so much on the line in a year’s time?

It will be intriguing to see if Pochettino’s gambit pays off, without the presence of Christian Pulisic.