Meola, who is coaching Pat McAfee's CONCAFA SC at TST, spoke with GOAL about the current state of the USMNT roughly one year out from the World Cup
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USMNT legend Meola says Pulisic missing Gold Cup is not a big issueBelieves Milan star requested out for a reason, needs to be respectedAdds goalkeeper pool is wide open ahead of 2026 World CupFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Joseph Maiorana-Imagn ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
CARY, N.C. — U.S. men's national team legend Tony Meola believes Christian Pulisic's request not to participate in the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup is no issue, and that his decision to do so should be respected as it was by U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino.
"I've been pretty clear on this. It doesn't bother me. I know that's an unpopular opinion with some of my ex-teammates and stuff. If the guy needs time off, take it. I'm of the mindset that if you don't want to be there for whatever reason, whether you gotta recover, you got some issues going on… there's a million reasons that you could have that you're not fully there 100 percent," Meola told GOAL at media day at The Soccer Tournament 2025 on Tuesday.
Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, and Yunus Musah have all faced criticism for skipping the Gold Cup – particularly given Pochettino’s status as a high-profile hire and the limited windows he’s had to work with a full squad. With the World Cup just over a year away, this summer marks another missed opportunity for the Argentine to fully assess his team. Still, Meola believes the U.S. will rarely have their full roster available and must use moments like this to evaluate new options and build depth.
"I'm okay with it. I would prefer that Christian was there for obvious reasons. I would prefer that Antonee Robinson wasn't getting an operation. I would prefer that Yunus Musah didn't have to deal with the stuff off the field, whatever he's dealing with. But this is a national team, and I think we all look at the World Cup and go ‘everybody's going to be available,’ like, that's our dream. But if you just look at the history of the World Cup or tournaments in general, you rarely have everybody available. So there's no downside for me in seeing new faces and new players. And I think that's what we're going to get."
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
The USMNT are set to have a new-look squad during their Gold Cup training camp in the buildup to the CONCACAF competition, with a handful of regulars missing in addition to Pulisic, Robinson, and Musah. The likes of Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Gio Reyna will all be at the FIFA Club World Cup, while Folarin Balogun is absent due to injury, with Josh Sargent not selected.
Notably, among new faces, a few regulars are in the mix, specifically in the goalkeeping department, an area where Meola made 100 appearances while playing in three World Cups. Matt Turner, Matt Freese, and Chris Brady make up the group, and even though Turner has been the undisputed starter since the 2022 World Cup, Meola believes the pool is open after the 30-year-old recorded just four appearances for Crystal Palace across this past season.
"We're going to find out Pochettino’s thoughts. I mean, he made it real clear about a week ago that this is open, and I think he was leaning towards just giving Matt opportunities. I believe it was four games total this year with Crystal Palace – just not good enough to play at the national team level," Meola explained. "I watched him in the World Cup in 2022, and I thought Matt Turner was outstanding, right? And whatever you rate him on a day or a game, my mind always goes to, if you were rated an eight, if you were playing all year, could you have been a nine? Like, that's true. That's just my way of looking at it."
Turner mentioned he is keeping all options open, including MLS, in his first media availability of the Gold Cup. Meola think its crucial he finds a situation where he is the guaranteed No. 1.
"This is nothing that Matt Turner doesn't know, right? He's having discussions with his agent and his representatives, and he's got to find a better opportunity," Meola said. "I think he thought it was going to be at Nottingham Forest, and things change. So I don't, I can't tell you who the number one is. I think what we'll see is some guys get some opportunities in this competition."
DID YOU KNOW?
Meola is coaching McAfee's team at TST 2025 for the second straight season, but he's been joined by former U.S. assistant Tab Ramos on the touchline this time around. Former U.S. international Brek Shea is on the team's roster.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?
The Group Stage for TST 2025 begins on Wednesday, where Meola will look to lead CONCAFA SC to the $1 million prize.
The USMNT, meanwhile, play Turkey in an international friendly on Saturday in their first of two matches ahead of the Gold Cup.