Soccer fans tear into 'soft' USMNT star Christian Pulisic as he defends controversial decision

Stateside soccer fans have turned on USMNT hero Christian Pulisic for his 'soft' attitude after the AC Milan star hit back at his critics. 

The midfielder sparked backlash earlier this year when he ruled himself out of Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT squad for this summer's Gold Cup action after a long campaign in Italy with Milan. 

And, in a new nine-episode documentary following his career on Paramount+, the former Chelsea winger defended his decision - much to the ire of American soccer fans.  

'It is a lot. it's hard to keep up with playing every single game,' Pulisic said. 'I mean, you see a ton of injuries. But this is how it is. This is the business. People want to see us play. 

'I think it's just a decision I had to come to to do the best thing for myself and to look out for myself for once. But I think everyone has had their opinion on me and, in my opinion, just disrespected me in a lot of ways and just completely forgotten about what I've done for this national team for 10 years. It sucks.'

However, after the snippet of the documentary was shared to social media, American soccer fans ripped into the 26-year-old for his 'soft' stance as they accused him of painting himself as the victim.     

'Interesting psychological insight into the victim complex that society and education has created in the last decade,' one fan wrote on social media.

'Pulisic is the least charismatic athlete I think l've ever seen. How anyone thought it was a good idea to film a documentary for a midtable player in Italy I'll never know,' another slammed in response to the clip on X.

'Every time Pulisic talks he makes it worse, the entitlement and whininess makes him very unlikable,' a third fan critiqued. 'I hope he turns this around, ultimately the 2026 World Cup with the USMNT will be his opportunity on the field, even so... the damage has been done off the field.'

'I can't anymore. The whining, the entitlement, the poor-me theatrics,' one frustrated soccer supporter fumed. 'Yes of course you live under a microscope. You're the country's best player. And compared to every other (soccer) country, you have it so easy.' 

Others believed that hitting back at the critics of his decision was the worst possible move Pulisic could have made.  

'this is the worst thing he could've done,' one claimed. 'this doc doing nothing but showing how entitled he is and how him and everyone around him. makes him a victim.'

'Christian Pulisic is by far & away the most insufferable athlete l've ever been forced to support. This (clown) continues to make himself look worse in the media by playing the victim at every possible juncture,' another agreed. 'There's always an excuse for this guy under-delivering + failing.'

'The USMNT captain shouldn't be soft. The team is cooked as long as their captain acts like this,' a third warned just one year our from the World Cup.

'@pulisic bad looks all around. People used to respect you,' another claimed, while one chimed in: 'Clown show. Nobody feels bad for you Christian.' 

The criticism of Pulisic hasn't been limited to America's fanbase with former USMNT stars and legends also taking issue with his decision to sit out of the Gold Cup. 

Ahead of the tournament, US soccer icon Landon Donovan, without naming names, took a jab at Pulisic and other USMNT key figures who excused themselves from Pochettino's roster. 

'I can't help but think about some of our guys on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It's pissing me off,' the former Everton forward said. 

Another player turned pundit, Alexi Lalas, also piled on Pulisic on the 'Call It What You Want' podcast on the Golazo Network

'You can talk about my performances, whatever you want, but to question my commitment, especially towards the national team, in my opinion that's way out of line,' Lalas said. 

Yet, Pulisic took a swipe at the legends during his documentary, branding their comments a 'cop-out'.

'I'd say the most annoying thing, and for me, the biggest cop-out of all time, is when, especially, you know, all pundits want to say: 'They didn't want it. They didn't have the heart, you know, back in our day, we would fight and we would die on that field,'' Pulisic said in the eighth episode of the docuseries, which was filmed earlier this summer. 

His international teammate Tim Weah backed Pulisic as he hit out at the 'evil' analysts. 

'Those guys are chasing checks, and for me, I just feel like they're really evil, honestly, because they've been players, and they know what it's like when you're getting bashed,' Weah said. 

'Those are the same guys that will turn around and shake your hand and try to be friendly with you.' 

Pochettino and the USMNT are entering a critical year as they gear up for the World Cup on home soil next year.