USA Fans Might Be Disappointed In Christian Pulisic's World Cup. He Is Too.

SEATTLE STADIUM — Christian Pulisic was not in the mood to talk. Why would he be?

The United States’ star came through the mixed zone interview area after his team had just been eliminated from the World Cup, and saw a familiar group of journalists waiting to speak with him. The 27-year-old winger looked exhausted, but he walked over and answered questions for five minutes.

The U.S. men’s national team was outclassed by Belgium in a 4-1 defeat Monday night in the round of 16. The Americans had hopes of advancing further than this program ever had before, and the opportunity to do it on home soil made it extra meaningful.

Pulisic, who has been dubbed by others as "Captain America" ever since breaking into the national team as a teenager 10 years ago, entered the summer with the highest expectations of his career. This was when he’d define his legacy.

Then things didn’t go as planned. Pulisic didn’t score a single goal and recorded only one assist. In the loss to Belgium, he created zero chances.

"I mean, I felt really good this summer playing with the guys, and I thought my level was high," Pulisic said when asked how he felt about his overall personal performance. "It’s disappointing. I didn’t quite have the moments I was hoping to and to try to help us really push and get over this next step of beating a really good team."

"I’m disappointed with myself, of course," Pulisic added, "but I’m gonna try to stay positive. I did a lot of good things, and the team did as well."

Pulisic’s World Cup was impacted by injuries. He contributed to two goals in the first half of an eventual 4-1 romp over Paraguay before aggravating a calf injury initially sustained a few days prior. This changed the course of his tournament, as he missed the second half, the whole Australia match and the first half against Türkiye. In total, Pulisic played just 196 of the team's 450 available minutes across five matches.

Then Monday, he was forced off in the 59th minute after he kicked Belgium midfielder Youri Tielemans' leg while trying to get a shot off. No foul was called, and Pulisic went down clutching his leg in apparent pain.

"I totally twisted my ankle and my knee in one play," a dejected Pulisic said. "So, whatever, I have time to rest. Just an unfortunate way to finish."

The injuries were unlucky, but Pulisic’s spirits throughout the tournament remained outwardly high. 

Typically more reserved in the media, Pulisic seemed comfortable in the spotlight. He answered questions from reporters every week, often while smiling or cracking jokes about himself or manager Mauricio Pochettino. Pulisic enjoyed watching his coach immerse himself in American culture.

He was light on his feet during training sessions and looked like he was having fun with his friends, while still setting the standard. The team wanted to perform well for itself – and for him.

"He’s our guy," Sebastian Berhalter told reporters earlier in the tournament. "He’s – more importantly – just a great person that everyone follows, and he’s a leader in his own right."

Pulisic controversially sat out last summer’s Gold Cup, choosing to prioritize rest after a long club season with AC Milan and prepare for the upcoming campaign and the World Cup. The decision appeared to pay off, as he tallied 10 goals across all competitions for his club during the first half of last season, but then he endured a five-month scoring drought. His inability to find the back of the net became one of the biggest storylines surrounding the U.S. team heading into the tournament.

Pochettino expressed confidence in him before the World Cup. Then, 12 days before the opener, Pulisic scored in a tune-up match against Senegal, providing a glimpse that he was rounding into form just in time.

In the end, not so much.

"You wanted some of those big-time players to step up in big moments," U.S. women's national team legend Carli Lloyd said on the FOX broadcast later. "And I've got to be honest, I was a bit disappointed in Christian Pulisic. Whether he wants to be the star of this team or not, we didn't see enough from him in this particular game, and really the whole World Cup."

Pulisic is in the prime of his career and could certainly have multiple World Cups still ahead of him. He loves the national team, representing his country, and his frustration was evident. Broadcast cameras caught him getting emotional on the bench after he was subbed out of the game. He lingered on the field with teammates, taking in the last bits of the experience.

He just couldn't take this team where it wanted to go.

"We were really positive coming into it, and there’s a lot of things to be proud of this summer for sure," Pulisic said, trying to sound optimistic. "But it’s always tough to lose like we did today. I think we put in some really good performances. Made it through our group in quite dominant fashion, and then we won the game against Bosnia. We can for sure be proud of [ourselves], but I just think we want to have higher hopes than that. We want to be able to go and compete with some of the best in the world, and we just still have that next step to climb."

The Americans' effort vs. Belgium was a surprising turnaround from the way things were before. Against Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the squad played with aggression, dominance and grit. For whatever reason, those qualities disappeared Monday night.

It was a heartbreaking ending, but Pulisic is grateful for the outpouring of fan support around the country and said, "Those are memories I’ll keep with me forever."

So, what’s next? 

"For me, it’s spending some time with family and forget about the game for a little bit," Pulisic said. "Try to get a little bit of rest because we’ll be right back in a few weeks going back to preseason and back with the national team, no doubt. There’s still a lot more that we want to accomplish."

And while this team failed to meet its World Cup moment, Pulisic said it still "exceeded expectations."

"Just with it being in America, with the fans and support we felt, the energy in the games, the way guys fought, the time we were able to spend together as a group was what I’ll take with me the most," Pulisic said somberly. 

"So yeah, it was an awesome summer."