IT'S TIME TO LOOK FORWARD

Without Pulisic, his USMNT teammates must put their best foot forward in the Gold Cup

Christian Pulisic has been given a rest by USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino this summer (Scott Wachter/Imagn Images)

Okay, have we stopped crying about Christian Pulisic not being on the U.S. men's national team for the Concacaf Gold Cup?

Ah, good.

Yes, I am disappointed that the American side's best player won't be participating in the squad's last tournament before next year's World Cup.

I wanted to see how the team could fare with the best possible roster even without the likes of Juventus' Weston McKennie and Tim Weah and Borussia Dortmund's Gio Reyna. Instead, they will be playing with their respective teams in the FIFA Club World Cup, incredibly, also being held in the U.S. next month.

We can whine all we want about it, but now it is time to face reality and look toward the future.

Actually, the immediate future.

Let's see how the team plays a minimum of three, and hopefully as many as six games, without its best player. Sooner or later, it could happen, heaven forbid in the 2026 World Cup.

Let's face it, it is a fact that outside of Mexico and Canada, Concacaf teams are unlikely to come close to European competition, but at the moment, it's the only tournament the U.S. has remaining prior to next year, and it is better than nothing.

Without Pulisic to rely on, perhaps someone else will emerge.

Yours truly is a big fan of Real Salt Lake's Diego Luna, and it is his time to shine. Not in just one or two friendlies, but in at least three group stage matches, and if things fall together, perhaps six games, and the final in Houston on July 6.

This is your chance, midfielder Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo), of B.W. Gottschee fame. This is your opportunity Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC). Agyemang has enjoyed an impressive start to his international career, striking thrice in his first four appearances this year. Can he continue it in the Gold Cup and become a consistent threat up top, besides Pulisic?

Let's not forget a pair of veteran forwards in Folarin Balogun (Monaco) and Haji Wright (Coventry City), who ply their trade in Europe. Let's not forget that the latter scored in the 2022 World Cup.

And then there's Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter. Yes, that Sebastian Berhalter, the son of former USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter, who was summoned to the national side for the first time.

And speaking of the Whitecaps, Berhalter’s teammate, forward Brian White, has been on a tear this season. It isn’t even June. Yet, he already has 16 goals across all competitions. That’s including the Concacaf Champions Cup, as Vancouver will meet Cruz Azul in the final on Sunday, June 1. White, incidentally, recorded a brace in a 3-2 comeback win at Real Salt Lake on Saturday, May 24.

Yeah, I counted the goals the 27 players head coach Mauricio Pochettino selected to his roster - 32. Yeah, Pulisic has 32 by himself in 78 international appearances.

Those numbers are pretty scary.

No doubt this team has some giant shoes to fill on the pitch.

But like I said, it is time for someone or if the team is fortunate, several players to shine.

Even with a team that has half the strength, the U.S. should be able to go deep in the tournament.

It has happened in the past plenty of times.

In fact, the Americans have a history of reaching the final a dozen times and winning it on seven occasions, in the 17 competitions since 1991.

When the USMNT fails to reach a Concacaf final, it should be a big deal, whether it is with its A, B, or B/C team.

The last time that occurred was 2023, when the USA lost via a shootout to Panama in the semifinals. The Central Americans and the hosts played to a 1-1 draw before Los Canaleros prevailed in penalties, 5-4. And that was with Matt Turner, who has excelled in tie-breakers, in the net.

Yeah, that Panama, the same Panamanian team that got the better of the U.S. in the 2024 Copa America (which led to a group-stage elimination) and in the 2025 Concacaf Nations League semifinals (the Americans dropped that one as well, before losing to Canada in the third-place match.

With or without the great Pulisic, any tournament should be a big deal for any version of the USMNT.

If not, then the players shouldn't be anywhere near wearing a red, white and blue jersey.

Next month, we'll get an opportunity to see if this team and this set of players deserve to wear the shirt.