And while the USMNT was thoroughly embarrassed in its friendly against Switzerland, much of the discussion focused on the player who wasn't there: Christian Pulisic. Ever since the AC Milan star elected to skip the Gold Cup — the USMNT's only competitive tournament before the 2026 World Cup — the backlash had been impossible to ignore.

The days since have seen many in the American soccer landscape take to social media to offer their thoughts, which has lingered over the U.S. team as they enter the final year before serving as one o...