Christian Pulisic Looks Unburdened, Unbothered and Unstoppable As Pochettino Nears Exit

While his fellow U.S. men’s national team stars paid heartfelt tributes to exiting boss Mauricio Pochettino, Christian Pulisic only vaguely spoke of “some good moments” the Argentine oversaw when asked on Saturday night.

The blasé statement is not entirely a surprise from Pulisic, who butted heads with Pochettino over the last two years. It matched the impersonal hug the two shared in training right after news broke of the manager’s official departure to Manchester United following the November international break.

Pulisic was much more keen to focus on the future of the USMNT following its rout over Haiti. The Stars and Stripes romped their way to a 6–0 win in the first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals, a game in which “Captain America” got on the scoresheet twice.

On any other night, the headlines all would have been about Pulisic’s sensational return to the national team, but he was upstaged by Pochettino’s farewell tour. It was yet another example of the power struggle between the two pillars since the former Spurs boss took charge in September 2024.

Conflict Followed Pulisic and Pochettino

Christian Pulisic, Mauricio Pochettino — Christian Pulisic (left) and Mauricio Pochettino didn’t see eye to eye on certain matters. | John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images

It’s been a trying two years for Pulisic in red, white and blue, a spell that coincided with Pochettino’s tenure. The AC Milan man never looked his best under the Argentine; before Saturday’s win, Pulisic had not scored a competitive goal for the USMNT since November 2024.

Injuries were partially to blame, as was a career-worst slump for Pulisic that extended to the club level as well. But there was always a disconnect between the star player and his manager on the international stage, so much so that their conflict went far beyond the pitch.

Now, there was no extreme, public blow-up like the one between David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson or Vinícius Júnior and Xabi Alonso. But there were clear signs of a fractured relationship, which all came to a head in the summer of 2025.

Pulisic, along with many other USMNT standouts, opted against playing in the Gold Cup, prioritizing their individual recoveries over the competition. It raised a lot of questions about the players’ commitment to the team, especially Pulisic, who was the face of the Stars and Stripes.

• NEXT: The Curious Case of Christian Pulisic: From American Phenom to USMNT Outcast

The forward subsequently went on a media tour to try and defend his position, revealing he wanted to at least play in the team’s friendlies before the tournament, but Pochettino denied his request.

“I didn’t understand it, but it is what it is. I wanted to be a part of that, but that’s just the way things went, and I had to make the best decision for myself and also in the long run for my team, even though clearly some people haven’t seen it that way,” Pulisic said.

The two seemingly patched up their issues as time went on, but old demons were unearthed when Pochettino stunningly left Pulisic out of his squad for the September-October international break. The decision showed exactly what the Argentine thought of his star player, a sentiment echoed by Pulisic’s unbothered response to Pochettino’s exit.

Pulisic’s Resurgence Comes at Intriguing Time

Christian Pulisic — The USMNT has won its last five matches. | Robin Alam/ISI Photos/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Pulisic did himself no favors with his poor form under Pochettino. From the time the Argentine made his debut on the touchline back in October 2024 to the end of the 2026 World Cup, Pulisic found the back of the net only twice on the international stage.

His name started to carry less and less weight the longer he went without contriubting. When the lights were the brightest on home soil last summer, Pulisic hurt his reputation even further with floundering performances. Beyond one assist in the team’s opener against Paraguay, the 28-year-old contributed very little to the USMNT’s run to the round of 16.

With how well the Stars and Stripes looked at the World Cup, there’s reason to believe the team could have gone even further—or at least avoided such a lopsided defeat to Belgium—had Pulisic been at top level.

The former Chelsea man can’t exactly go back in time and improve his performances at the showpiece event, but he can start building toward the next World Cup—and that’s exactly what he did on Saturday. Pulisic calmly converted a penalty just past the hour-mark before he completed his brace with a strike from outside the box just one minute later.

Sure, Haiti was not a tough opponent for the USMNT, but Pulisic’s goals were a good sign nonetheless. They also came off the back of his strong form at Milan; the forward scored three goals in his last five club appearances ahead of the November international break.

It’s almost like Pulisic wanted to assure the crowd at Nu Stadium, as well as his teammates and fans across the country, that the team would be just fine after Pochettino leaves. The brace was a loud and powerful statement of intent from the player who once again looked capable of becoming the face of the team.

Now Is the Time for Pulisic to Step Up

Without an immediate successor lined up for Pochettino, the pressure is on the likes of Pulisic and Tyler Adams to lead the team in this time of uncertainty. And the best way is to lead by example.

Pulisic’s goals were just one part of his spectacular game on Saturday. The forward looked rejuvenated and hungry against Haiti, void of any squandered opportunities or lackluster sequences that plagued his 2026 World Cup campaign. He misplaced just three passes in 81 minutes, had the most touches in the opposition’s box (nine) and won the penalty he then buried.

There was a tangible connection with his teammates all night long as the Stars and Stripes put on a show in south Florida. Above all, Pulisic looked unburdened. Was that because he knew Pochettino was leaving? Well, you can be the judge.

But the best thing Pulisic can do moving forward is keep up his leadership and his intensity, so the USMNT’s next boss can get the best version of arguably the best American player of the current generation.

A Pulisic in top form combined with the emergence of young stars like Julian Hall and Cavan Sullivan will give Pochettino’s successor the blueprint for success.

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