For the United States Mens National Team, it was a disappointing yet relatively harmless defeat. Losing to Mexico 2-0 on Mexican soil will never feel good, but the fact it was a friendly match with a decisively understaffed U.S. side — on top of the dynamics of a new coaching staff for the squad to acclimate to — perhaps it wasn’t as painful as it should have been.
However, the ensuing drama following the game was not about the performance or result. Christian Pulisic decided to leave the camp early before the Mexico match, which notably sparked backlash from veteran U.S. soccer players Tim Howard and Alexi Lalas.
Following the 2-0 Friendly victory over Panama just a few days prior to the Mexico match, USMNT star Christian Pulisic was ordered to return to his club country of Italy, with “load management” being the cited reason.
This decision did not sit well with Howard or Lalas.
“Pulisic is our biggest player, our best player — this was no normal USMNT camp. It marked the start of Pochettino and the countdown to the 2026 World Cup,” wrote Howard in the Daily Mail.
“No one can question his commitment to the USMNT, and no one can deny that he needs to look after his body. But even if he is not playing, he should still be there – to create the culture and set an example. I have been a senior player and a big personality in the locker room. I demanded a lot of people and what I found? The moments to show your gravitas tend to come off the pitch,” the former goalkeeper said.
“They were small gestures that carried an important message: when we’re in deep and I’m demanding something of you, it’s nothing I would not do myself. That’s what makes a good leader. That’s when you build trust and culture. Not by leaving camp. But by supporting the team with words and actions,” said Howard.
While it is admirable to want your captain to be a good role model, insisting that Pulisic stay behind is a flawed argument in multiple ways. Firstly, being a friendly match with a higher-than-usual intensity (Mexico is a rival, after all) presents the perfect opportunity for Pochettino to get a closer look at fringe players and their ability to rise to the occasion as the 2026 World Cup looms closer. After all, we are already more than aware of Pulisic’s ability to rise to the occasion. Secondly, the decision was calculated and signed off by Pochettino, Pulisic, and the rest of the squad and staff. During his Everton career, Howard played zero minutes of Champions League football and won zero domestic trophies. ‘Load management’ was perhaps not a concept familiar to Everton at the time, as there wasn’t much load to manage — especially as a goalkeeper that requires less physical endurance.
Lalas, meanwhile, was less kind:
“Load management can kiss my a** !” he said on the State of the Union podcast. He then went on to imply that there’s something wrong with Pulisic for choosing to leave camp early.
Lalas’ professional playing career lasted less than a decade, notably making 44 appearances for then-Serie A side Padodva, who finished 14th in his first season. He would then go on to bounce between MLS clubs and won nothing notable during his career until he came out of retirement to sign for LA Galaxy, where he helped them win an MLS cup and Lamar Hunt US Open Cup — ultimately being named in the MLS Best XI that year.
The demands of modern football — which include an expanded Champions League system and fixture congestion — pales in comparison to the era of Howard and Lalas in terms of intensity and number of games played.
This fixture congestion, alongside advanced sports science and data analysis, shows that injuries are occurring more frequently. A study showed in the 2020-2021 Premier League season, player injuries increased by 15% compared to the previous decade’s average. Hamstring injuries account for 24% of player injuries, which is a sharp increase from previous years.
The players themselves have taken notice of the schedule. Alisson Becker and Rodri, who play for Liverpool and Manchester City respectively, have recently said in interviews that the players are becoming fed up — with Rodri even suggesting a ‘strike’ may be close.