Poch: Pulisic can't dictate which games he plays

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- United States men's nationalist squad manager Mauricio Pochettino said his players "cannot dictate the plan," arsenic helium explained wherefore helium rejected prima winger Christian Pulisic's connection to play successful a brace of friendlies up of the Concacaf Gold Cup but not the tourney itself.

"Players request to perceive and to instrumentality with our plan," helium told reporters connected Saturday. "They cannot dictate the plan.

"The astir important happening is that we explicate wherefore we decided not to see him successful the 2 affable games. And past if you person immoderate problems, no, that is not my occupation to understand.

"When I signed my declaration successful the federation, I americium the caput coach. I americium not a mannequin."

Earlier successful the week, Pulisic told the CBS Sports podcast "Call It What You Want" that helium needed a remainder aft playing astir 120 matches implicit the past 2 years for AC Milan and the nationalist squad but besides wanted to play successful 2 friendlies up of the Gold Cup. He said that helium respected Pochettino's determination to exclude him but "I didn't recognize it."

"It's existent that helium wanted to travel to beryllium progressive successful the 2 affable games ... [but] for us, the Gold Cup is an important tournament," Pochettino responded connected the eve of the USMNT's Gold Cup opener against Trinidad and Tobago astatine San Jose's PayPal Park.

"Yes, it was my decision, it was our determination not to see [Pulisic] successful the 2 affable games, and that's it.

"It was successful our [original] program to bring him to play successful not lone the 2 games, the affable games, [but] the Gold Cup."

The USMNT mislaid the friendlies, 2-1 to Turkey and 4-0 to Switzerland, and were dealt their archetypal four-game losing streak since 2007.

Still, the U.S. manager reiterated that helium believes helium maintains a bully transportation with Pulisic and different players connected his roster.

"I emotion to beryllium successful connection with my players," helium said. "I emotion to communicate, but astatine the aforesaid clip I privation to support that each the players consciousness the aforesaid respect from the coaching unit and for myself, if idiosyncratic doesn't similar this, OK.

As good arsenic Pulisic, the U.S. is without a fig of different mainstays for the Gold Cup -- the team's past competitory games earlier co-hosting adjacent year's World Cup. Weston McKennie, Timothy Weah, Giovanni Reyna, Antonee Robinson, Yunus Musah and Sergiño Dest volition each mist the tourney owed to a operation of wounded and Club World Cup participation.

The team's 2022 World Cup skipper Tyler Adams is besides a uncertainty for Saturday's Gold Cup opener aft missing the nonaccomplishment to Switzerland with a ft issue.

"At the moment, contiguous helium was grooming a small bit, and he's adjacent to beryllium disposable again. I anticipation that helium tin beryllium disposable time and assistance the team," Pochettino said.

Pochettino besides confirmed that chap midfielder Johnny Cardoso's is battling illness

"It's existent that today, similar we saw, Johnny was sick and helium cannot bid and [we'll] spot if time if helium tin beryllium progressive oregon not."

Information from The Associated Press was utilized successful this report.