Wasn't saying starter,but sort of a Jamal Murray to someone else's Jokic. And CL football demands squad rotation.Its why 'pool didn't advance farther.So he won't play every game (or sit either) anyway.
Summer off for Pulisic: not going to the Gold Cup. https://www.foxsports.com/stories/s...r-christian-pulisic-wont-play-gold-cup-summer
Frankly, if the players were smart, the only Cup they would play in for the National team is the World Cup. All these regional and domestic cups are just money grab by the Confedrations at the cost of the players' careers and injuries. They're not paid enough to risk their careers at these meaningless Cup for the Federations.
“The reason for Pulisic's unavailability is that he needs a recovery period after a grueling season in Europe. If he plays in Milan's season finale against Monza on Saturday, it will be his 50th game across all competitions for the club this season. One source told ESPN that Pulisic had been dealing with a chronic hip flexor issue as recently as March, though it is not known if that is the reason for him sitting out the Gold Cup.” First I’ve heard of his chronic hip flexor injury. Hope he is able to rest. Really need he and Robinson next summer to overcome their respective injuries, and both could make big club moves this summer.
Then he shouldn’t play in the World Cup either. Stick to club games entirely, including the “cash grab” games on that side of things.
I'm sorry - just trying to understand - is your point that he should always play national team games in between club matches and never turn down a call up, no matter how big or small the tourney is? If so, that is taking the human element out of things and treating players like circus animals or video game simulations, imo. Let's be real, the Gold Cup is small beans in the grand scheme of things, is it not? Player's have rights to rest at times, and also to try and extend their careers as long as possible.
This will get off topic and mods don’t like that so I’ll just say there are “cash grab”/lower priority competitions on the club side as well. Maybe Pulisic shouldn’t have played all those minutes in Saudi Arabia earlier this year if his priority is minimizing wear and tear.
Thank you for clarifying. And while I understand what you are saying, I have to agree with @smokarz - AC Milan pays him to play, and if he is healthy and the manager/Milan want him to play in the Wal-Mart Heineken Invitational Cup on the Moon on a random Tuesday, well, he should; they pay his salary and he is their employee. The USMNT pays considerably less, and while important and sentimental and a proud honor for every Nat, they do not cover his living or future family security. That is nothing new. The saying in England has always been "Club before Country," even if our heart says otherwise.
Fair enough. Agree to disagree - although something tells me your tune might be different if YOU were the one being paid 4-5 million a year to play and live in one of the most beautiful places on earth. I do wonder if Pulisic is going to not only spend the summer resting, but also exploring options. He was in the promo for their most recent kit release for next season, but so were players like Leao, Maignan, and Walker - so that may not mean much in terms of him staying for sure. But I think he'll be at Milan next season.
Not really. My thought experiment would include players who haven’t earned wages from big name European clubs.
Christian should do what he wants and clearly has the best sense of his body. If he feels he needs to rest, then he should rest. Everyone has a clear understanding of how much he cares about the USMNT, and anyone who doesn't understand by now is probably a doofus. The real question is what club jersey he suits up in next season.
"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," U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker said in a statement. "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."
Some people act like Puli went of his way to ruin their summer lol. The hysterics are amusing and their arguments incoherent. They're also the same people who if Puli's body broke down at 28 would say he should have rested and recovered more.