The former MLS defender criticized the Gold Cup roster, suggesting decisions reflect problems within U.S. Soccer
Lalas frustrated over star players opting out of Gold CupQuestions the commitment level of current generationGold Cup roster doesn’t feature Christion Pulisic, Antonee RobinsonGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED
The U.S. men's national team's Gold Cup roster was announced this week, and it notably does not include two of the squad's biggest stars – Christian Pulisic and Antonee Robinson.
Former USMNT player Alexi Lalas criticized coach Mauricio Pochettino's roster decisions, and expressed dismay that top players would choose to skip a major tournament. According to Matt Crocker, U.S. Soccer sporting director, Pulisic and his team made the request to sit out the Gold Cup.
“The United States Soccer Federation has a problem, the U.S. men's national team has a problem,” Lalas said on his State of the Union podcast. “I guess you could look at it as a business problem, a marketing problem, in that this team right now – given some of the failures over the last couple of years – is at a point right now where … here has been less, I guess, interest and emotion. Now that is a problem that needs to be solved.
“When I look at this team, I thought that this summer, was going to reflect the fact that we are going to at least start to try to solve this problem, and start to try to reignite some interest and some passion and some love and caring for this team – and belief in this team ultimately as we head into next summer. But this decision does not fill me with confidence and it makes me angry.”
Lalas believes that the U.S. could be successful at the Gold Cup, but that it is nowhere near full strength.
“It doesn't mean this team can't be successful this summer," he said, "but their job this summer is to make people care again. And when you have people opting out, when you don't have a full-strength team off of recent failures, I hope that this isn't a missed opportunity for these players, for Mauricio Pochettino and for the United States Soccer Federation.”
AdvertisementWHAT ALEXI LALAS SAID
With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon and limited opportunities for competitive matches beforehand, Lalas said he was surprised the U.S. didn't demand a stronger squad, and why Pochettino would allow a player such as Pulisic to opt out.
“It pains me and it makes me sad that when your national team calls – what's really calling is your country,” Lalas said. "And, whether it's the Gold Cup or anything else. I mean, that's, that's crazy to me that this is the situation that we have created. And that's on the federation… we have created a situation where players would would rather go and do something else than represent their country.”
He also the emphasized the optics, considering the team lost both matches in the CONCACAF Nations League in March.
“Whether you're looking at Christian Pulisic and this decision, but more importantly, I guess this entire team in terms of the way that the public views it – is they think they're weak is they think they're soft,” Lalas said. "And we have had bad teams in the past. We have had bad results in the past. We have had difficult times in the past. But never have I seen the way that people look at this team be referenced as to they are, weak and they are soft, and they won't do the things that enabled us to make up a lot of ground over a very short period of time.
“The fact that people out there are saying that you don't care – whether it's fair or not, that is what's going on. People are actually looking at this team and saying 'Why should I care if what you are doing leads me to believe that you don't care?' How the hell did we get here?!!”
Lalas said he was shocked at the state of the USMNT a year out from a World Cup on home soil, as well as public opinion about the team.
“I never envisioned that a year before the World Cup that these are types of conversation that we would have," he said. "I never envisioned that we would be worried that we're not going to get out of the group. I never envisioned that we would be lamenting the fact that our team is a bunch of soft, weak, coddled, rudderless attitude, millionaires, whatever it ends up being. And I'm not saying that there wouldn't be criticism, but I do think that this team this summer has an opportunity. And if they use it, they can light up fire hopefully for the players that aren't there that and they come back and say, you know what?
“I just I wish that this group had been brought together this summer to say, 'You know what, we screwed up recently. We're going to fix it this summer and we're going to give you a moment to celebrate and be excited and be proud of what's coming and to believe in this team again' And then we go great guns all the way through for the next year and show up next summer."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Lalas' comments come at a critical juncture for the USMNT program, with the 2026 World Cup on home soil approaching – especially after a poor showing at the Nations League in March.
Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?
The USMNT start their 2025 Gold Cup against Trinidad and Tobago on June 14, followed by Saudi Arabia on June 18 and then Haiti on June 21. They will play a pair of friendlies in June ahead of the Gold Cup.
