"I strongly believe Christian Pulisic is the greatest American player of all time." Jermaine Jones didn't ease into it — that was the opening shot, fired directly at Landon Donovan, Carli Lloyd, Sydney Leroux, and anyone else who spent the week after Belgium piling on.
The criticism was coming from everywhere. After the USMNT were knocked out 4-1 by Belgium in the Round of 16 — a result that came wrapped in its own controversy after the Trump administration's involvement in Folaron Balogun's red card — Pulisic became the primary target. Social media, TV pundits, former players. The AC Milan forward had a quiet tournament by his standards, and people noticed.
But Jones, capped 69 times for the national team, wasn't buying the selective outrage. "What I find disappointing is seeing former players try to downplay his career or talent," he posted. "Respect what Pulisic has done for U.S. Soccer and outside of America."
A tournament defined by injury, not just poor form
Context matters here. Pulisic was sharp in flashes — his first-half display in the opening win over Paraguay was the best version of him all tournament. Then came the calf injury that pulled him off at the break and ruled him out of the next match entirely. He returned as a substitute against Türkiye, played nearly a full 90 in the Round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, then limped out of the Belgium game having barely made an impression in the first half.
Thursday brought the full diagnosis: a microfracture and bone bruise in his right leg. He's now racing to be fit for the start of the Serie A season — which, given his injury history, is a race worth monitoring if you're watching his availability odds at Milan.
Jones also pushed back on the idea that Pulisic was the only one who had a bad day against Belgium. "What about Dest, Ream, Freese? I watched the game — they all had shockers. So what? That's football."
Pulisic's own words
Pulisic released a statement Wednesday — measured, honest, and notably free of excuses. "It simply wasn't good enough from us in the end and I wanted to deliver so much more," he wrote. "I still feel blessed to be a part of this team."
Whether that sentiment holds weight with his critics is another matter. Jones has drawn a clear line. The debate over Pulisic's legacy isn't going anywhere — but the injury adds a grimmer edge to it. A microfracture at 27, with a new Serie A campaign weeks away, isn't just a setback. It's another chapter in a career that has spent too much time in treatment rooms for anyone's comfort.
