Defending Christian Pulisic Against ‘Whining’ Narrative, USMNT Legend Exposes Truth Behind Bias Against American Players

“I don’t want him taking my spot over here,” remarked Christian Pulisic, referencing how his teammates allegedly disliked the concept of having an American player on their roster. Such an admission raises questions about the prevailing biases against American players in foreign leagues. However, Alexi Lalas argues this bias isn’t limited to Europe, claiming sometimes it comes from ‘our own Americans out there.’

Stars like Pulisic vocally addressed a part of this discrimination against US-based players in Europe, and much more recently in his own docuseries by Paramount+ that is officially up for stream. Of course, it had to become a topic of discussion in the latest episode of the State of the Union podcast, where Lalas decided to speak more about the biased narrative.

“It was interesting to hear guys like Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie talk about, and very, very honestly and openly in this ballistic doc about the bias they see,” began the former defender. “I think it can be interpreted as they’re whining about it, but that’s not necessarily the case. I think it’s just baked in and they recognize it.”

Agreeing with American stars, Lalas was sad enough to admit that beyond the discriminatory practices in Europe, such biases tend to stem from their own nation’s supporters. “Not only is there a bias against the American players that they face when they go to Europe, but as I said before, there’s also the bias against the American players over here, sometimes by our own Americans out there, whether they were involved in soccer or not,” concluded Alexi.

This isn’t the first time Lalas has underlined the prejudice against Pulisic. The former defender previously pointed out that Pulisic is often regarded as an outsider, not just because he’s a foreign player but also because of his American background. “Even with him going over to Europe at a young age, he’s still an American and there is a kind of baggage that comes with that. Not always in a bad way, but you’re always going to be looked at in a soccer sense,” said Alexi.

Clearly, Lalas isn’t impressed with how tough things are for USA-born stars in foreign leagues and in his nation quite a few times. Well, he ain’t alone, as another USMNT icon is fed up with Pulisic and Co. being bypassed in such a manner.

Tim Howard is ‘sick’ to see Christian Pulisic and many other USMNT stars get the short end of the stick!

The former goalkeeper shared a candid perspective on the Unfiltered Soccer podcast, criticizing the lack of opportunities given to American players in overseas leagues. “American soccer players get the short end of the stick in Europe. End of story,” he said.

Echoing Howard’s sentiment, Landon Donovan expanded on the issue by highlighting Ricardo Pepi’s situation, who, despite being part of the prestigious Dutch club PSV Eindhoven, made only 19 appearances, many of them coming off the bench.

This is particularly surprising given the forward’s impressive performance, with 11 goals and an assist to his name. “What else does this guy have to do to start a game? I mean, I’m just sick of it. It’s ridiculous,” remarked Donovan, voicing his frustration over Pepi’s limited starting opportunities.

Supporting Donovan’s view, Howard encouraged American players in prominent European clubs to remain mentally strong and not let such perceived bias undermine their confidence.