IN FULL: Christian Pulisic talks USMNT’s World Cup, Berhalter-Reyna controversy & Chelsea | ESPN FC

IN FULL: Christian Pulisic talks USMNT’s World Cup, Berhalter-Reyna controversy & Chelsea | ESPN FC
Christian Pulisic sits down with Graham Hunter in an ESPN exclusive, to open up on the USMNT’s World Cup, the Gregg Berhalter and Reyna family controversy, and life at Chelsea amongst the big new signings.
0:00 His USMNT World Cup experience
11:10 Strong views on Berhalter and Reyna
20:54 Becoming a leader
24:17 His best position on the pitch
27:58 Faith, and dealing with injuries
33:05 Chelsea and the Champions League
37:50 Chess rivalry with Kante
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[@luckymark571]

The way Pulisic has matured at the age of 24 is incredible, and he speaks so fondly of Berhalter

[@OslerWannabe]

Tolerantly, I'd say. A number of people I absolutely respect (like Filippo Silva) hate Berhalter passionately. I have no idea where the truth lies. We're gonna find out.

[@johndowning4444]

Excellent interview. More of these please! I wish continued growth and new levels for CP.

[@calebhughes6308]

I don’t know. The guy giving the interview. Answered the question. Then asked the questions. Then answered them again. Then let pulisic weigh in. I wish he gave pulisic more open questions. Felt like he more just wanted to pontificate and get pulisic to agree with him. Just my opinion.

[@jkjk6671]

@@calebhughes6308 You definitely psychoanalyzed this one

[@miltosvellos1708]

Bro grew a beard in 2 seconds

[@thatchinaboi1]

Started the interview clean shaven. 😂

[@dangeloandersen4221]

Yeh how he didi that?

[@marydexter9700]

I’m a huge CP10 fan, and I really enjoyed this interview. Looking forward to part 2!

[@zachbrown9031]

This interviewer got the best out of CP10. Excellent work.

[@andrewtaylor2384]

This is awesome. you can tell this was a long time coming to hear his experience

[@coachpaulbusinessenglishen3764]

Christian is maturing and I felt his comments about Berhalter were kind but I love his attitude!

[@kakashi0429]

We love Puli! Guy is decent man.

[@fantabulousstargirl]

I love his calm demeanor. Seems like such a kind person ❤

[@xMichaelRaymond]

Pulisic loves to say “100%”

[@nbayern7000]

100%

[@lilpradabagxz]

and “Absolutely”

[@integralmark]

100%, absolutely, without question

[@bullet996]

Fr ong

[@Newnicknameneeded]

yea for sure

[@anasshahid224]

Christian Pulisic is a likable guy, happy to see him shine at AC Milan 👏👏👏👏🇺🇸

[@christianvelazquezKingz]

The interviewer probably talked more than Pulisic 😂

[@calebhughes6308]

Agree. 30 min of the interviewer pontificating. 13 min pulisic tipping in comments.

[@PushTheStart]

Hearing his first bumbling, rambling question wasn't a good sign...

[@BCE-111]

Great interview Graham and Christian. A ton of great content and really excellent questions. Top notch. One thing though is when Christian called people complaining about playing time childish can't help but remember Christian you were also not happy with your playing time at Chelsea under Tuchel. And I think that was completely valid as I never liked the way he treated you by not really giving you a fair chance to play. I didn't consider your questions about that as acting childishly or in a youth soccer way. And one other thing is Graham you were praising Gregg a bit much and that's fine if that's your take. But you were almost enticing Christian to agree with you with somewhat leading questions.

[@jjj8317]

I don't think he means that Gio is at fault, but his family is horrible. That's crystal clear.

[@conormoran209]

Graham hunter must ask the longest questions ever!

[@davidyepez3464]

Great interview 👏🏻

[@amyyang9585]

great interview!! It digs deep!!

[@dennissalvy222]

Greg isn’t bad about caring for players but when it comes to coaching and decisions on call ups ,line up , game plan are terrible

[@justinklajbor1036]

He won more in four years than any other USMNT couch..... What are you watching?

[@dennissalvy222]

@@justinklajbor1036 look at the squad he had !!! That defended him from getting sacked . Trust me buddy he was still the coach for usa after 2019 due to players he had . Give him arenas squad let’s see what he does wit it even 17-18 year old pulisic would save him from being sacked v

[@dennissalvy222]

@@justinklajbor1036 you aMericans don’t understand football ya (soccer ) he’s not high level coach for this team

[@justinklajbor1036]

@@dennissalvy222 You don't know where I'm from dawg

[@dennissalvy222]

@@justinklajbor1036 you said “dawg “ bro i really don’t care 😂. Keep scrolling lil guy

[@tielmaster7879]

Y'all bashing his beard. He lets that grow a little bit and pretty sure it'll be fire lol.

[@TheBobafettmaster]

Great job by the interviewer!

[@blackfootjesse5236]

That Chile game was a friendly in Houston, I was there, let’s go Htown 🤘

[@samersader7445]

Absolute leading question on Greg

[@gabrielhigginbotham7101]

the beard looks good i dont know why that is the topic of discussion but

[@kevinkennedy8451]

you learn more from getting punched in the face than punching someone in the face

[@chriswealth5471]

I love this guy ❤

[@henryday6029]

As an american Chelsea fan Id love to see him in another league maybe Italy or mid to high level spain, like Sevilla bc it’s clear that he isn’t at that par yet! Great guy deserves to play and be a legend for a club somewhere

[@dawidmalan8727]

God no. I like him to stay and compete for minutes at Chelsea. If he moves to another league and he doesn't get starting minutes (which is likely), his career will be forgotten. It's a huge risk and thinking that oh if he goes down a level, he'll bag in 20 goals is logical thinking and sometimes it just does not work out that way (logically).

[@henryday6029]

@@dawidmalan8727 you have to think tho the premier league is the most physical league in the world and play the most games. If he were to go to for example a Milan or Inter or maybe a Bilbao he would likely get a good run of games and not to mention those clubs regularly have European football (Milan as of lately) you don’t think he would benefit from that a possibly even play better for the usmnt

[@integralmark]

whatever bro. A similar attitude to yours lost Chelsea lots of top players that reached their top level later. De Bruyne, Salah, etc, etc.

[@duckbizniz663]

Lionel Messi is one of the greatest player who ever played football. Argentina won the 2023 World Cup because Argentina put a world class football team on field and took the World Championship. Donovan, Dempsey, Lalas, Howard, ... took USMNT to the next level. Hopefully, Christian Pulisic and Giovanni Reyna can take the USMNT even higher.

[@justinstern6057]

He really pushed Christian to say positive things about Gregg... not a fan of that type of interviewing

[@GaryPayton-zl8th]

I really hope Gregg isnt the coach again.

[@luckymark571]

No? Stop doing mental gymnastics for your agenda bro

[@d_lowgames340]

He very clearly was backing Berhalter lol. Regardless of if you like him or not the things Pulisic was saying about Gregg were pretty intentional.

[@glimpsepandey3174]

Defended Berhalter pretty passionately and called the Reyna situation childish. Can safely assume Pulisic represents the view of the entire camp here. Reyna's family has ruined his relationship with the USMNT camp it seems.

[@LilRedRasta]

@@GaryPayton-zl8th i'm boycotting if he is

[@paceva]

Who was the camera man for this?! It looks like I recorded it on my phone!

[@dark5niper1]

Pulisic!!!! Your the man! Captain America 🇺🇸. Don't be shy be bold my friend! Attack that back k line let's gooooo!

[@Pela_Vacas]

Interview Reyna next 😂

[@Trancymind]

Which one?

[@kva9918]

" I think " 😂😂😂

[@JuveX0]

A lot of talk from Christian but no play 💯

[@LeastSlutty]

27:35 was vintage CIA.

[@DrexVanced]

Interviewer should have also ask "What do you think about Argentina getting 5 penalty calls?" (highest penalty calls for a single team in the history of a WC) 🙄

[@Gospeeed14]

Cry more 🤣 you punk

[@cubonemaker5080]

Salty, heh?

[@Eric-km9ip]

Drex, I know you think you understand football, but you don’t.. did fifa pay for dibu to save koulo mani’s shot last minute? Or for people to foul Argentina players in the box? Is that Messi’s fault? I dont know man

[@AlexyalanAlexyalan]

Yet all of them were justified, except the poland one. Which i think messi missed it on purpose. So technically only 4. Don't know why you are still salty 3 months later.

[@deborahluck539]

❤CAPITAN AMERICA❤❤

[@Ooth9999]

Man has more interviews in the last 3 years than games played…

[@shansen881]

The ads are out of control. It was mostly the interviewer giving commentary as questions. Typical ESPN FC production. Waste of time.

[@andymacduff2]

Have a drink every time he says “I think”

[@Rreezy713]

I'm fuked up

[@Masnwoo]

LEBRON JAMES OF SOCCER 🔥🔥

[@Trancymind]

The only difference is that Christian Pulisic is 5X more likeable as a person more respectful, humble than Lebron and more mature when both were at the same age.

[@chamberlainwonder369]

But pullistic is one of the greatest players of all time as so many people have said, and I believe him, cause Gregg seems like a passionate soccer coach that hungry to win it all and Gregg don't care who you are but you must perform as a star to watch.

[@Ooth9999]

Who has said that he’s one of the greatest of all time 💀 he’s not even in the top 10 best players currently at Chelsea lmao

[@kopobeatz6205]

Chelsea need to stop wasting this guy’s talent. The best American player by far.

[@Ooth9999]

Wasting his talent? He’s done literally nothing since he joined. He’s been handed plenty of opportunities and every manager he’s played with has resorted to leaving him on the bench. He just isnt good enough

[@kopobeatz6205]

@heda kom you can say that about every attacker that have started over him this season.

[@kopobeatz6205]

@@Ooth9999 Which other Chelsea winger have scored more than him since he joined?

[@Ooth9999]

@@kopobeatz6205 lmao every other winger at the club joined in the last 1-2 years that’s why pulisic has more goals he’s been at the club way longer than everyone else. He was handed yet another opportunity against Everton and he was trash yet again. He’s deadwood and he’ll be moved on in the summer finally

[@kopobeatz6205]

@@Ooth9999 He'll be one of those players we regret selling.

[@brenda94115]

That was kinda weird

[@tnc2224]

This was not an interview this was media training responses 😂

[@Kkh430]

So a left CAM

[@raze9531240]

Why does bro look uncomfortable

[@va3023]

According to his Chelsea teammates, apparently he’s a shy guy

[@joslu80eight5]

He needs to leave chelsea, with the amount of spending they are doing his playing time is growing less and less

[@dlo11794]

Reyna family is a disgrace and Berhalter is a terrible coach. Time to move on from both honestly

[@Jferrara_207]

*Reyna parents. Don’t you dare make it the whole family. Gio turned around his attitude and everyone said he did and every player has something like this in their career at least happen once so no but the parents yes

[@loganhill6601]

@@Jferrara_207 yes this exactly

[@dlo11794]

@@Jferrara_207 don’t make it his whole family? Reyna is 20 years old and has his mom and dad talking for him, and yet has he came out and said what his parents did was wrong and he’s not apart of it and that they don’t speak for me. So yeah he’s part of the issue too, don’t let his talent overlook his attitude

[@pedroportillo1585]

@@dlo11794 We won the first CONCACAF Nations League and the Gold Cup with a B team under Berhalter. That counts for something in my book.

[@dlo11794]

@@pedroportillo1585 did you see who played against and who they brought? Our B team is better than Concacaf A team, we barely qualified again to the WC. Not winning our conference is a disgrace, then WC we didn’t even look that good, without CP we don’t even get a point

[@conormoran209]

"Leading sportsman" 😆 🤣 😂

[@LetterSignedBy51SpiesWasA-Coup]

Good interviewer

[@thatmexicanwiththemustache]

Praise Jesus 🙏🏾

[@krackerrsss]

Shame that he's never lived up to his potential that he showed, albeit briefly in parts, in dortmund. Should move on to a smaller team

[@samersader7445]

Hunter is horrible long prompts for simple questions

[@nouraedwards4945]

My a** ! I mean , those argentinian guys paid for that cup , France should have kept that cup home if it was a fair game . thats silly how eveybody knows but just because thats Leo Messi , lot of people are pretending not to see it .

[@NicolasViard-kc9dm]

Argentina could not buy a world cup from France who is like 10 times richer. Rather FIFA wanted an happy ending to Messi's career and have him finally lift the trophy. The qatari chief organizer and Infantino even said it during interviews.

[@nouraedwards4945]

i agree @@NicolasViard-kc9dm

[@chrisjunker3517]

See you salty haters in Istanbul for part 2!!!

[@NinjaBear29]

The Gregg outers are shitting themselves lol

[@OslerWannabe]

I've always been a Pulisic fan, but athletes' candor about their religion always makes me nervous. Times have changed from 60 years ago, when I was a kid in the Congregational Church (United Church of Christ), a very liberal, nonproselytising "mainline" church. These days, the fundamentalist churches are not recognizably Christian in doctrine or actions, only symbology, seeming more animist in their aggressive intolerance and hatred. I wait for Pulisic to slip and leak dogma from the seams, but so far he's kept it in check. Either he's more liberal (i.e. more Christ-like) than other young "Christian" athletes, or he's operating under a (?self-imposed) gag order. I'm cautiously optimistic that he is free of the malignant fundamentalist tendency to downplay the role of Divine Affirmative Action (born white) in his life. To this non-theist, his faith seems genuine, and I can live with that.

[@rodgermurphy5721]

Very tolerant

[@JesusGarcia-nc1ld]

Man this guy only does interviews and never plays

[@Ooth9999]

Fact he does more interviews than everyone it’s really weird

[@brooklineg7727]

I think Pulisic's father also got involved in Christian's playing time at Chelsea.

[@andrewtaylor2384]

Yeah but he didn’t threaten to expose his dirty laundry nor did he have any direct communication with anyone in the club. It’s comparing a camping fire to a forest ablaze

[@CMJames]

@@andrewtaylor2384 Not really, he had no dirt on Tuchel because he doesn’t know him but his dad was behaving in the same ‘college soccer’ kind of way on Twitter.

[@luckymark571]

@CMJames But was he emailing the higher ups of Chelsea?

[@LeastSlutty]

Doug Funny isn't fooling anyone. Where's his marketing team? Even Pennsylvania doesn't have people this corny.

[@quinnlay2150]

Captian America

[@nurmaso4481]

No true. Alot of football fans did not watch it. Because it was in a country, that has nothing in common with football and because of the missing human rights there. And it all seemed like it would be payed. So as if it's all about the money and not about football. Football was secondary in Qatar. In the first place, with Infantino, was only the money.

[@NicolasViard-kc9dm]

Just wait for Saudi Arabia and why the other candidates withdrew their candidatures (not hard to guess). FIFA is one if the most greedy and corrupt organisation in the world.

[@mar.c1]

Dude was licking argetinas feet in the first question

[@CMJames]

They won. USMNT have a long way to go before they can even dream of being that kind of team….

[@sumankhedekar7662]

Yes, no one likes Pendu anymore, even Pendu's teammates lick Messi's feet. Cry more of your sweet sweet tears, little girl.

[@mar.c1]

@@CMJames Yeah they won. And of course not. But Pulisic isn't owed to praise or worship any team or player that he has nothing to do with if he chooses not to. Interviewer was like "You think like this, Riiiiight?"

[@erickmartinez7488]

It's ESPN what do you expect 💀

[@cjlad88]

Puli is right on the gio/Greg situation but with that said, didn't he wrote a book complaining about tuchel and playing time?? Didn't his dad also tweet out stuff about this as well?? 🤔

[@wuxiagamescentral]

He was complaining about being punished for being a good player not his playing time.

[@luckymark571]

How does that have to do anything with this? Tweeting is not the same as Blackmailing, Writing a book isn't the same as have a poor attitude and sulking in training and ingame

[@superstro2225]

Gio parents literally tried to blackmail Gregg and threatened US Soccer members over some playing time. It’s nowhere near the same.

[@wuxiagamescentral]

@@superstro2225 blackmail would be "if you don't play my son I'll report your past misdeeds to the federation." It's scummy to do that to a friend but it's not blackmail. The way Berhalter got the job was also scummy as it is. Berhalter only got the job because his brother made his hiring a precondition of being the sporting director. Which is by far more illegal than anything the Reynas did

[@naomiklassen475]

Tuchel promised him a spot on the starting XI and pulled that out from under his feet after he was playing well

[@88laserbeam]

Grew a beard waiting for playing time at chelsea. Time to leave!

[@branimirsuvar4689]

He’s Croatian AF 💪 and his last name is pronounced PULISHICH

[@JuanPerez-gf8dc]

He’s an American of Croatian decent. If he pronounces it PUL isIC then that’s what it is. I’m an American of Mexican decent. My last name in most of the Mexican world is Pronounced PEDez my family say it PURez so that’s what it is.

[@branimirsuvar4689]

@@JuanPerez-gf8dc in the end it doesn’t really matter I was just trying to help everybody how his last name is pronounced correctly (because it is Croatian and he has Croatian citizenship). Some public people eventally just give up on correcting everybody or don’t really care to begin with idk

[@pizzaman207]

Hypocritical coming from a guy who's dad is arguing with his club, probably will force him to leave. Sounds kind of Childish.

[@rodgermurphy5721]

What?

[@TheBobafettmaster]

Tuff moments?! I'm a class A truck driver who have worked 4 days in the last 4 months and have 5 mouths to feed. That's tuff

[@caseyryder8164]

Idc how much Christian likes Gregg, the dude was a terrible coach. Refused to play with a creative midfielder, started Jesus vs the Netherlands, snubbed Joe Scally for Shaq Moore, etc. He cannot come back.

[@coletripp4814]

Hahaha, He didn't do what I wanted. He is terrible!!! Hahaha

[@caseyryder8164]

@@coletripp4814 or he’s terrible because he finished level on points with Costa Rica in WCQ and won one game at the WC with the most talented team in US history. Just a thought🤷‍♂️

[@coletripp4814]

@@caseyryder8164 Yeah true. He could have easily bunkered and countered our way to top of WCQ and even picked up 2 wins at the WC. Though that does go against the whole "change the way the world views American soccer" Also just because it is the "most" talented, doesn't mean it is Spain or England or France. Let's be a little more realistic.

[@CMJames]

If you asked me, he achieved what he could with the players he had. Americans think this team are world class because they are an improvement on years past…they are still a long way from any world class players.

[@mattharrell3932]

For you folks with short memory... GB did very well as coach of the USMNT. As for the "Most" talented team ever, many of the players are still teenagers. And who is this elite talent? A bunch of cast off Midfielders playing for a relagation battling Leeds team. Tim Ream was left for dead along with a bunch of MLS hacks. And a bunch of bench players that doesnt get consistent minutes (CP, Musah, Reyna, etc etc). The 2nd string of England is more talented than the USA and yet they out played England for 90. Now was that our superior talent or coaching?

[@nageekb]

Still more minutes in interviews than on the pitch

[@julionunez6855]

Complaining about game time? Geez didn’t his dad go on a Twitter rage? Sure it’s not the same but the way he said was laughable.

[@djmedina6165]

Yup, GGG should stay

[@PutlerHuyIo]

Christian, we love you, but please shave off that "beard" (or whatever it is), it doesn't suite your face at all. 😂

[@Loop1977]

Dude can grow a good full beard at 24 years old. I’m in my mid 30’s and I still can’t grow one like that. I think his beard looks tight. Absolutely nothing wrong with his beard, clearly you don’t have a lot of experience growing a beard which tells me you are probably a teenager or younger.

[@Loop1977]

Or a female

[@superreeze3295]

To be completely honest Gio is better than Pulisic. So why is he talking about we don't need new guys like y'all are not good enough.

[@wuxiagamescentral]

That's not what he said and you know it. He's saying we don't need to completely blow up the organization from top to bottom like we should have when we didn't qualify for Russia.

[@ckuhn2356]

Kid I wanna see you play with these players and I want you to know Here the fans saying gio is better than pulisic, ronaldo better than messi, But Honestly You don't stand close to these players

[@luckymark571]

No, he isn't nor for club nor for country at his age he was contributing more then Reyna

[@elguerrooo8391]

Why would you interview a bench player?