Christian Pulisic is nicknamed Capt. America, and when you’re the captain, it is your duty to speak up in public when the ship is sinking.
And this United States Men’s National Team is absolutely taking on a lot of water this international break. It’s been mostly rough seas, not smooth sailing, for the USA as they have only scored one goal in two games, having had to settle for two draws (one goalless), against Canada and El Salvador, last week.
Those two teams are ranked 59th and 64th in the world, while the USA are slotted 10th. On top of all the messes on the pitch, you also have the Weston McKennie fiasco as he was dismissed from USA camp for breaching the covid-19 bubble not once, but twice.
On one night he brought in an unauthorized visitor, which was in breech of the bubble protocol. On another night, he breeched the bubble by going outside of it. While McKennie has publicly apologized for his actions, he’s still showing some selfishness by putting his personal/social life above the safety and interests of his national team.
This isn’t new, as Juventus have had off-the-pitch problems with him too. There is still a chance to right the ship and find safe harbor, and the Stars and Stripes team captain spoke about what’s ahead, as the USA will take on Honduras next.
“I think the group is ready to respond from everything that’s gone on,” Pulisic said.
“[Canada and El Salvador were] two results that we wish could’ve gone a little bit better, but the guys’ heads are up and we’re ready for a big match [on Wednesday] and hopefully three points.”
If you’re reading this, then you’re probably somebody who is already aware of all the rumors on the internet about what McKennie did and whom he supposedly did it with. We won’t be discussing that here, as we our journalistic standard means we don’t amplify noise.
On the topic of McKennie, Pulisic said:
“We didn’t speak to him. We were told what had happened by the coach and everything. We were forced to look past it, which we have. We just have to focus on what’s at hand and do what’s important, which is getting results.”
The Chelsea man also talked about the squad trying to maintain focus ahead of the must win Honduras clash tonight.
“Of course that’s what we do for a living [focus on games],” Pulisic said.
“It’s a normal thing, things happen, things go on outside of a game, but it’s our job that whenever we get on the field we’re good to go and give 100%. I know this team will be ready come game time [Wednesday].”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.
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