Landon Donovan bluntly assesses Christian Pulisics disappointing World Cup: He is who he is

Christian Pulisic’s ankle forced him out of Monday’s World Cup Round of 16 loss to Belgium early in the second half.One former United States men’s national team icon said he would have handled things much differently.

On top of that, he said Pulisic just has not performed well enough in the big games.Landon Donovan, one day after the USMNT’s ugly 4-1 loss that saw its World Cup dreams get dashed, spoke on his “Unfiltered Soccer” podcast with former goalie Tim Howard and said Pulisic just hasn’t been the star player America has needed.Donovan, who admitted he played poorly in the 2006 World Cup and was crushed after being roundly criticized for it, said Pulisic’s tournament was “disappointing.”Pulisic sat out last year’s Gold Cup in hopes of being more ready for this year’s World Cup in the United States, but injuries limited him on the field, and he notched just one assist over four games.“In the end, he’s your best player, he’s your star player, and it just didn’t happen for him,” Donovan, the Fox Sports analyst, told Howard, his former USMNT teammate.

“I want to be careful because I’m sure people are piling on him, a lot of it he deserves, of course.That’s part and parcel with this role.

It’s just disappointing, I was waiting for a moment for him … and it just didn’t happen.”“I’m starting to look back, Tim — it’s more than just a trend now.It is,” Donovan added.

“Like, when the games are easy, and it’s a home qualifier, and it’s Jamaica, yes.But in the big moments and the big games, he just hasn’t — I’m not criticizing, I’m just saying it factually.

He is who he is at this point.” Built for match days and everyday wear, this officially licensed USMNT tee brings classic national pride wherever you go.Rep your favorite player in classic navy with this officially licensed tee made for diehard fans and big match energy.

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