USMNT's poor summer performance at the Copa América led to the dismissal of former head coach Gregg Berhalter.
A new documentary series released this week follows Christian Pulisic as he takes on a new challenge at AC Milan, while dealing with the pressure as the face of the USMNT.
The first episode was available to stream on Monday, December 9, with the remaining two episodes going live in January.
Episode one contains the fallout from last summer's lackluster USMNT performance at the Copa América. The South American tournament was expanded to North and Central America and the US was given hosting duties, making it an important staging post in the run-up to the 2026 World Cup. The US team fell short of expectations.
A disappointing 2-1 group stage loss to Panama saw the USMNT fall at the first hurdle for home support. In the documentary, Pulisic is seen discussing the tournament with former AC Milan player Zlatan Ibrahimovic, describing it as a “disaster at times” for the US team.
In an interview with The Athletic, Pulisic attempted to clarify these comments, explaining that he had been caught up in the emotions of that chastening early departure.
“It was hard to lose and to go out the way we did – it was just a very unfortunate second game [against Panama] which we like to think we should have won. That put us in a very difficult situation. Also the conditions can be tough in games against these types of teams with the pitches and all that stuff. It was just a short statement. It's not like the whole thing was a disaster. I also really enjoyed the experience.”
US home support provides optimism for 2026
The USMNT performance on the field was disappointing and quickly led to the end of head coach Gregg Berhalter. The organizers were also questioned with an 82-minute delay for the final between Argentina and Colombia when a number of ticketless supporters entered the stadium.
Nevertheless, it proved that there is a real appetite for football in the United States, something Pulisic took as a positive sign.
“You could see the hype around the tournament. It was extremely exciting. You could see in that finale people coming in through the vents and it was like madness.
“Of course we wish we could do better. We want to be there and have the American people behind us. Believe me, no one wants it as much as I do. And it sucked that we couldn't deliver. That's why it was so disappointing for us. The more success you have, the more your country will support you.”
With Mauricio Pochettino, former head coach of Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, in charge, there is renewed optimism around the team. But the new man has just 18 months until the 2026 World Cup to assemble a talented but unproven group of players into a team that can raise the flag for 'football' against the rest of the world. Pulisic will undoubtedly be a key component in any USMNT success in the years to come.
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