Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 3, 2022; Al Rayyan, Qatar; United States of America manager Gregg Berhalter consoles forward Christian Pulisic (10) after losing a round of sixteen match against the Netherlands in the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Khalifa International Stadium.
The United States Men’s National Team and superstar Christian Pulisic are just one win away from reaching the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup for only the second time in the modern era.
The U.S. advanced to the Round of 16 on Wednesday with a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina despite playing more than 30 minutes down a man following a controversial red card to striker Folarin Balogun.
Meanwhile, new manager Mauricio Pochettino has become a cult here among USMNT fans after taking over for much-maligned manager Gregg Berhalter in 2024.
Berhalter was fired after a brutal showing at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and then an even worse performance in the 2024 Copa America on home soil.
Despite that fact, Berhalter is still firing off takes about Pulisic and USMNT, and he’s getting roasted for doing so.
Gregg Berhalter Says USMNT Didn’t Put Christian Pulisic In Position To Succeed
While Pulisic had a perfectly solid game against Bosnia, he wasn’t the game-changer that he’s proven to be in previous appearances for the national team.
Berhalter believes that’s down to tactics, and that the U.S. needs to do a better job of catering to the star winger.
Gregg Berhalter says the U.S. isn’t setting up Christian Pulisic well enough for success 😬
“I don’t think there was enough intention to get Christian the ball in those (wide) positions.”@RobStoneONFOX | #USMNT pic.twitter.com/ujh2dOqYPR
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) July 2, 2026
“I don’t think there was enough intention to get Christian the ball in those (wide) positions,” Berhalter said as part of a larger critique of Pochettino’s tactics.
Unsurprisingly, longtime fans weren’t very interested in what Berhalter had to say.
“Yes, let’s ask the guy who was fired for being bad at his job what we should’ve done,” one fan wrote on X.
“Gregg, respectfully, you had 6 years with this group and failed. Poch is doing something with this group you could never do. Let him cook,” said another.
The reality is twofold.
For one, Berhalter is an extremely flawed messenger given his failings as the USMNT manager.
On top of that, Pulisic no longer needs to be the sole focal point of the U.S. attack. Players like Balogun and Malik Tillman have helped lift that weight off his shoulders.
Sure, it’s never a bad idea to get Pulisic the ball in open space. But he’s part of a successful larger system. And if that includes him being a decoy at times, then so be it.