Christian Pulisic chose to skip the Gold Cup semifinal to rest before the World Cup. He expressed a desire to inspire youth through soccer. Pulisic, who led AC Milan with impressive stats last season, felt exhausted after a heavy playing schedule, which included a career-high in minutes. His decision to prioritize mental and physical health was met with criticism from former national players, questioning his commitment to represent the country. Despite the backlash, he offered to participate in friendlies, which the national team coach declined.
Pulisic, 26, isn't far removed from being a kid himself, one who grew up learning the game on mini fields not too different from the one he was opening Tuesday.
Pulisic says he was simply exhausted. He played a career-high 3,650 minutes in all competition for AC Milan last season, leading the team with 11 goals and nine assists in Serie A play.
He needed a break to rest both body and mind before the World Cup, when he'll be the focus of a U.S. team playing the tournament at home for the first time in 32 years.
The reaction was swift and hurtful, with many criticizing him for turning down the privilege of representing his country.
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