Lloyd Calls On Pochettino To Leave Pulisic Out of USMNT Friendlies

Jul 18, 2025 1:18 PM EDT

The USMNT is left with friendly matches as the only way to prepare for the 2026 World Cup next year, and Mauricio Pochettino will soon make important decisions in regards to the squad.

Pochettino will need to pick players who are in contention to make the final roster for the World Cup next summer. That includes players who didn’t participate in the Gold Cup this summer.

Players like Christian Pulisic are expected to be a part of the upcoming USMNT friendlies taking place in September and October. Despite the controversy over the Milan star choosing to miss the Gold Cup for rest, many assume he should still be chosen to play in the friendlies, which are a couple of months away.

Former USWNT player Carli Lloyd believes Pochettino should be bold when making his decision to call up players for the upcoming friendly matches. She also believes leaving Pulisic out may be a call she would like to see Pochettino take later this year.

Carli Lloyd on Pochettino and Pulisic

On Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union Podcast, Lloyd thinks that Pochettino should leave out the players who decided not to participate in the Gold Cup, including Pulisic. Lloyd believes the ‘drama’ between Pulisic and Pochettino before the Gold Cup caused lots of controversy.

Lloyd believes Pochettino dropping Pulisic and other players will instill respect towards his mission in building a squad ready for the World Cup next summer.

The USMNT will take on four national teams that have qualified for the World Cup. It will be a competitive test for Pochettino and the national team, especially without key players like Pulisic and other stars who play in Europe.

USMNT’s 2025 friendlies

The USMNT has four scheduled friendlies later this year after losing in the 2025 Gold Cup Final to Mexico. The four international teams the USMNT will face are Japan, South Korea, Ecuador, and Australia.

In September, Team USA will take on South Korea and Japan. They will first play South Korea on September 6 at the Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. They then take on Japan on September 9 at the Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio.

In October, the USMNT takes on Ecuador and Australia. The match against Ecuador will be on October 10 at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. On October 14, the USA takes on Australia at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado.