Pochettino: Pulisic can't pick and choose which games he plays

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said he wouldn’t allow Christian Pulisic to dictate which games he would be available for, explaining why he rejected the star’s offer to play in a pair of friendlies ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup but not the tournament itself.

“I am the head coach. I am not a mannequin,” Pochettino said Saturday, a day ahead of the Americans’ opener against Trinidad and Tobago.

Pulisic told the U.S. team he was willing to play in the recent games but wanted to skip the tournament to rest after playing about 120 matches over the past two years for AC Milan and the national team.

The Americans lost the friendlies, 2-1 to Turkey and 4-0 to Switzerland, and were dealt their first four-game losing streak since 2007. Pulisic told CBS Sports Golazo he respected Pochettino’s decision to exclude him but “I didn’t understand it.”

“Players (do) not need to understand or not understand,” Pochettino said. “Players need to listen and to stick with our plan. They cannot dictate the plan. Because if not, OK, we invert — we swap the position, no? That is obvious. ... The most important thing is that we explain why we decided not to include (him) in the two friendly games. And then if you have some problems, no, that is not my problem to understand.”

Pulisic, 26, is the top American player with 32 goals in 78 international appearances. Pochettino compared Pulisic’s situation to that of defender Sergiño Dest, who reported to training camp in Chicago ahead of the friendlies and then was dropped to continue regaining fitness in his recovery from a torn ACL.

“It’s up to us after to assess, to analyze if you need rest or not need rest because we have a group of professional performance doctor and athletic coaches in the federation that can assess you,” Pochettino said.

The coach said he understood Pulisic’s request but wouldn’t alter his decision to have one roster for the entire June/July camp.

“Our decision was to go with the players who wanted to play,” Pochettino said.

Pochettino rejected Pulisic being labeled the top American player.

“You say the best player. Yes, is a good player, of course, but he needs to perform,” the coach said. “If he perform(s) well, and he’s the best, it is normal he is going to have a place in the national team ... But it’s not because ... I want to be, I want to play, I want to do this, I want to do that.”

Pochettino said it was possible midfielder Tyer Adams, who has turf toe, could be available Sunday.

“I hope on the end of this journey together we can leave a trophy that’s for sure well deserved, first for the players and then for the country and for the fans to recover the belief and recover that good energy and the good feelings,” he said. “That is important. In one year that we have an amazing opportunity in the World Cup, being a host of the World Cup.”

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer