USA boss Gregg Berhalter has been told he "can't trust" Chelsea's Christian Pulisic at the World Cup.
The 24 year-old has failed to live up to his billing since his £58million move from Borussia Dortmund in 2019, scoring 19 goals and providing 10 assists in 80 Premier League appearances but struggling with a number of injury issues and failing to carve out a regular starting spot at Stamford Bridge. He's yet to find the net at club level this season.
Pulisic is USA captain and their great hope heading into the World Cup in Qatar. He has already picked up 52 senior caps for his country and was part of the squad that won the CONCACAF Nations League in June 2021, scoring the winner against Mexico in the final.
The USA are the women's world champions and have lifted a record four World Cups, but the men's team have never won the competition. They've reached the quarter-finals just once since 1930 and failed to qualify for the last World Cup in Russia.
Pulisic, who broke into Dortmund's team aged 17, has been named "Captain America" by supporters and fellow players - but former USA international Brian Dunseth doesn't believe the hype. Dunseth is now a pundit after spending most of his career in the MLS.
"You can't trust Pulisic," Dunseth told his SiriusXM podcast, as quoted by the Daily Mail. "As much as you want to believe in Pulisic, as much as he's been hyped to be the everything that everybody thinks he can be or wants him to be, the reality is he's not.
"He's a really good player but he is a complimentary piece. He is not a focal point and that's what people have to understand... Pulisic makes your team better but Christian Pulisic isn't going to be the guy that is the Christian Eriksen of the US men's national team.
"[The guy] that becomes the tempo player, the connecting player, the guy that's going to create something out of nothing, the guy that's going to hit a final pass every single time or is capable of the final pass every single time."
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Pulisic is under pressure after failing to score for the USA since his hat-trick against Panama in March. The USA will face England, Iran and Wales in Group B at this year's World Cup and coach Gregg Berhalter is backing Pulisic to have a good tournament.
"Christian is a fighter," Berhalter told Mirror Football. "He's not scared of challenges like the one at Chelsea - and I'm excited to see how he performs moving towards the World Cup."
Berhalter also believes England can win the World Cup, despite Gareth Southgate's side failing to win any of their six UEFA Nations League matches. He added: "I really think that when it comes to the World Cup, the English are going to be a formidable team.
"Previously I didn't think England had the squad that could realistically win the World Cup. But now it's different. I think we all agree they have a squad that can win it. Gareth, in my opinion, has done a great job of helping the players cope with pressure."
