It was reported yesterday that USA and Chelsea star Christian Pulisic, along with four other teammates, will get an early release from national team camp this international break. The five USMNT members will now return to their clubs earlier than expected, and after that sad sack showing last night against arch-rival Mexico, they probably cannot hit that exit door quickly enough.
The U.S. fell 3-0 (or tres a cero if you will) in an international friendly that was anything but in New Jersey. Tensions ran high last night, and the near brawl between both sides that almost ensued was by far the most interesting portion of the game.
Pulisic, who admits that he is usually reticent with the media, has been refreshingly candid this international break, and he says his side is still running scared in matches against their greatest of rivals.
“We still play with fear against them, and that is what I can’t really live with,” Pulisic said after the blow out last. “That needs to change.”
“We have to go and play like we’re good enough to be out there, be confident and play without thinking twice about it,” he continued.
“That’s how it needs to be, and that’s just not where we’re at right now.”
The Friday night rout in the New York city metropolitan area (which was another de facto home game for Mexico, given how the crowd was overwhelmingly in support of El Tri) was a rematch of July’s Gold Cup Final, which was also won by Mexico, but a totally different result.
At least the GC Final was competitive, and the Stars and Stripes were in it most of the way. Last night saw the USA dominated from beginning to end.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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