Overview

• Pulisic told CBS he wanted to play two pre-tournament friendlies then sit out the Gold Cup to recover from nearly 120 matches over two years.
• Pochettino rejected the captain’s self-exclusion plan and said managers—not players—decide who plays and who rests.
• The coach stressed that his technical staff and medical team assess player fitness and insisted he is not a 'puppet' in squad decisions.
• Pochettino challenged Pulisic to prove he is the team’s best player to earn his spot in the lineup.
• The US begins the Gold Cup against Trinidad and Tobago on June 15, then plays Saudi Arabia on June 20 and Haiti on June 23.