Christian Pulisic called out for USA exit as Mauricio Pochettino urged to take action

Tim Howard has called Chrisitan Pulisic out for not setting the right tone during Mauricio Pochettino's , amidst some challenging team decisions including the captaincy issue.

After joining ranks with the ex-Chelsea and boss Pochettino, who's now at the helm of the US team, concerns have cropped up following Pulisic's early departure ahead of the defeat to Mexico. Also ducking out early were Ricardo Pepi, Weston McKennie, Marlon Fossey and Zack Steffen.

Pulisic chose to make an early exit from the camp - a move that didn't sit well with former teammate Howard. In his explosive column for the Howard lambasted the 26-year-old's decision.

"Pulisic is our biggest player, our best player - and this was no normal USMNT camp. It marked the start of Pochettino's reign and the countdown to the 2026 World Cup," he wrote.

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"Christian is a good leader of this group. No one can question his commitment to the USMNT and no one can deny that he needs to look after his body. But even if he is not playing, he should still be there - to create the culture and set an example."

Howard didn't mince words as he shared from experience: "I have been a senior player and a big personality in the locker room. I demanded a lot of people and what I found? The moments to show your gravitas tend to come off the pitch."

Howard has opened up about his time with the national team, even as injuries and challenges arose towards the end of his career. He spoke about how he aimed to be a role model for the younger squad members a stark contrast to Christian Pulisic's early exit this time around.

The iconic former goalie believes the USMNT need to play hardball over players like Pulisic if they hope to usher in a prosperous period.

"At some point Pochettino, Pulisic and the USA have to flex their muscles and tell Milan: This is how it's going to go down. We need Christian - to play or just to be around," Howard said.

Ami talks of "load management" from Pochettino regarding Pulisic's withdrawal from the America squad, Paulo Fonseca, the manager at Milan, confirmed that the winger is set to play against Udinese on Saturday in Serie A.

Pochettino said last week: "We are a bit concerned. Sometimes we might need to protect him. We will see. (I want) to cultivate a strong relationship with the club and do our utmost to cooperate. When we genuinely need him, he must be in form, happy, and strong. His talent is immense, and he's a fantastic player."

This season, Pulisic has continued his impressive performance wave in Italy, after achieving double figures in goals and assists last season, by banging in six goals and setting up two more in nine appearances for Milan across different competitions.