Christian Pulisic might want to stay off his phone for a day or two. The USMNT is heading home after Belgium flattened them 4-1 in the Round of 16 at Seattle Stadium on Monday, and the criticism is already pouring in. Some of it is loud. Some of it is pointed. And some of it came from a Fox Sports 1 host who didn’t even have to say Pulisic’s name to make it clear who he was talking about.
Nick Wright posted on X that there were plenty of reasons the U.S. lost — Belgium was better in every phase of the game, plain and simple. But then he added this: the guy who is supposed to be the best player this country has ever produced simply didn’t show up for the biggest tournament of his life. That part stings because it’s hard to argue with it.
Pulisic had a rough first half. He looked disconnected, slow to react, and never really found a rhythm. He got pulled in the 59th minute and sat on the bench visibly frustrated. He also got some treatment on his right leg during the game, though the team hasn’t said much about that yet. Whether he was banged up or just off, the production wasn’t there.
Lloyd was even blunter
Carli Lloyd didn’t dance around it either. She said flat out that she was disappointed with Pulisic. Whether he wants to be the star or not, she said, they didn’t see enough from him in that game or really throughout the whole World Cup. That’s a tough take from one of the best to ever wear the crest.
The whole situation was already messy before kickoff. FIFA overturned the automatic suspension for Folarin Balogun, which ticked off Belgium and UEFA. They made their feelings known publicly. But none of that mattered once the whistle blew. Belgium took that frustration out on the field and made the USMNT look like they were a step behind all night.
Mark Tillman scored the only goal for the Americans. It wasn’t nearly enough.
This is a program that has only made it to the quarterfinals once in World Cup history. That’s the reality. And when your best player turns in a performance like this on the biggest stage, people are going to talk. Wright talked. Lloyd talked. And the noise is only going to get louder from here.
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