When Christian Pulisic limped off just 30 minutes into the United States’ friendly against Australia, Mauricio Pochettino found himself in the eye of a storm. His decision to start the Milan star — despite ongoing ankle issues — sparked outrage from the Italian club, which accused the U.S. national team of recklessly endangering their most influential player. But while Milan’s frustration grew, Landon Donovan and Tim Howard — two of American soccer’s greatest icons — launched a fierce defense of both Pochettino and his staff, dismissing the outrage with a powerful six-word claim that has reignited the country-versus-club debate.
For AC Milan, the international break was supposed to offer rest and recovery — not another injury crisis. Instead, Pulisic returned to Italy with a hamstring injury, ruling him out for three to four weeks. Italian outlets La Gazzetta dello Sport and La Repubblica reported that the Rossoneri were “furious” with Pochettino for risking the winger in a friendly match that held “no competitive value.”
The 27-year-old winger had already missed league fixtures earlier in the season with an ankle problem, which the club’s medical staff feared could worsen under physical strain. Yet Pochettino chose to start him against Australia, only for the forward to go down clutching his leg after two heavy tackles.
The injury was later confirmed as a low-grade tear, meaning the current Serie A leader will likely be without its top scorer for crucial fixtures against Atalanta and Roma, with a possible return just before the Derby della Madonnina in late November.
The timing couldn’t have been worse. The American star had been enjoying a blistering start to the season, tallying six goals and two assists across all competitions and earning Serie A Player of the Month honors in September. His form had established him as Milan’s attacking heartbeat, and his absence could disrupt a team already struggling for consistency in front of goal. That, however, didn’t sway Donovan or Howard, who believe the club’s anger is misplaced.
What did Landon Donovan and Tim Howard say?
Speaking on Unfiltered Soccer, the two USMNT legends made their position clear — Milan’s complaints, in their view, miss the bigger picture. “Every game for the U.S. matters,” Howard said firmly. “They don’t have World Cup qualifying, so actually this was essentially a World Cup qualifier for us. It was an opportunity to get our team together and fight for points.”
Howard added that muscle injuries are part of soccer — and blaming national teams for them was both unrealistic and unfair. “Muscle injuries happen,” he said. “I think it’s crazy for Milan to suggest that he shouldn’t have played.”
Donovan went even further, calling the club’s reaction “ridiculous” and reminding them of the cooperation the U.S. has shown in the past. “Go back and look at what Pochettino did in the past in letting Christian go. He didn’t bring him to the Gold Cup, and he even let him fly back early from Mexico duty last year. So he goes and he gets injured — it happens. It’s part of the game.”
Howard also pointed out that this period is essential for national team cohesion. “This can’t happen to the U.S. where [Pulisic] gets himself fit a week and a half before the next international break, plays for Milan, and then Milan says, ‘Yeah, well, he can’t go to the November internationals.’ That’s crazy talk.”
