​The sense of good vibes that surrounded the USMNT as they opened the 2026 FIFA World Cup appeared to vanish after their 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the Round of 16. Following that collapse, the spotlight swung squarely onto the U.S. squad, with Christian Pulisic singled out as a non-factor in the loss before he exited the match due to an injury. In the days that followed, sports media members began a vigorous critique of Pulisic, and none were louder than Landon Donovan, the Fox Sports soccer analyst. He criticized Pulisic for coming off the field in the elimination game, saying, “You would have had to f—ing drag me off the field.” He then intensified his critique by suggesting that players, staff, and sponsors around the USMNT are “fed up” with Pulisic’s camp.
On Thursday’s First Take, ESPN soccer analyst Herculez Gomez expressed surprise that Donovan did not show more sympathy for Pulisic, noting the complex history between the two and the families involved. “There’s a lot of context here and also a lot of water under that bridge between Christian Pulisic, his camp, his family, and Landon Donovan and Tim Howard to that extent,” Gomez explained. He pointed out that Donovan and Pulisic share a similar background as players who have faced their own high-pressure, scrutinized moments. Gomez recalled Donovan’s 2006 World Cup experience, when he was positioned as one of the scapegoats for a disappointing campaign, and suggested that Donovan should understand what Pulisic is enduring. He proposed that rather than attacking one another or their camps, there could be an opportunity for reconciliation—an effort to come together and support Pulisic, who Gomez believes is currently being made a scapegoat for the team’s unsuccessful World Cup.
Gomez and Donovan had played together for the U.S. national team for several years. Before Gomez joined the roster, the United States had exited the 2006 World Cup at the group stage, and Donovan had borne the brunt of the criticism for the team’s perceived lack of offensive urgency and their passive approach. David Dennis, Jr., who was also on the First Take panel that day, agreed that Pulisic bore the brunt of the backlash while dealing with an injury, and that many of his critics had not extended him the benefit of the doubt. “I’m with you. You would think that there would be a little bit more unity coming out of this,” Dennis said. “The guy had an injury. Like the way that he discussed this afterward leaves a lot to be desired. Talking about rest, I’m going to talk about that. But the guy was injured, and we don’t totally know how much that hampered the way he played. He did not play well. And you would think, coming off of a heartbreaking, embarrassing loss, that somebody who was your— not your peer, but sort of came before you and paved the way for better SEO.”