USMNT star Christian Pulisic calls Landon Donovan's criticism of USA star's commitment 'out of line'

Pulisic and USMNT staff said in May that the player would sit out the Gold Cup so he can get 'the rest he needs' a year before the World Cup

U.S. men's national team attacker Christian Pulisic said it was wrong for former players to question his commitment to the squad after he decided to skip the Concacaf Gold Cup, a choice that has received increased attention because of criticism from retired star Landon Donovan.

Over the weekend, Donovan accused players who were not on the Gold Cup roster of taking "a vacation" rather than competing for the national team and that the move "pisses me off." He did not mention any players by name but the comment seemed directed at Pulisic, who opted out of this summer's competition after playing 100-plus games for club and country over the last two years. U.S. Soccer described the decision in May as one that would allow Pulisic to "get the rest he needs" in the final year before the 2026 World Cup.

Pulisic joined CBS Sports Golazo Network's Call It What You Want on Thursday to explain the reasoning behind his decision, as well as address the criticism he has faced.