Defending Pulisic, Former Coach Exposes the Double Standards of Ex-USMNT Stars- 'They Made Similar Requests'

USMNT Former Coach Defends Pulisic

On SiriusXM FC's The Coaching Academy with Glenn Crooks, former U.S. and Galaxy head coach Steve Sampson jumped in to defend the 26-year-old, pointing out that players before him had asked for time off too.

"A few of these players that are criticizing Christian have come to me in the past [with a similar request]," Sampson revealed. "I know Christian is taking a lot of heat from former players that have been very much instrumental in growing the game in this country. But to be honest I've had a lot of those same conversations with professional and international players on the U.S. team."

Sampson said during his time with the LA Galaxy and the U.S. national team, players would ask for breaks all the time. "They literally got to the point in their career where they just said, 'Coach, I need a break.' 

"If a player came to me - and a few of these players that are criticizing Christian for this have come to me in the past - they would say, 'Coach, would you mind not bringing me in for this friendly international match because I'm absolutely exhausted, or I'm very close to being injured.' And we negotiated."

The former coach said Pulisic handled the situation like a pro.

"I'm very confident Pulisic called his coach and worked it out. I think he's that much of a professional. And I think the big rift is that a lot of people feel that if your national team calls, you should always come. I agree with that - unless you have an agreement with the head coach."

This entire issue shows the generational divide in US soccer. Former players think the national team jersey always comes first, while today's players are dealing with 24/7 schedules in the top leagues in Europe.

Sampson argues that asking for a rest is not betrayal; it is something players have done for ages. With friendlies and Copa América coming up, all eyes will be on Pulisic.