Pulisic likes father's reply to Donovan's criticism over Gold Cup absence

U.S. men's national team star Christian Pulisic liked an Instagram post in which his father Mark told American soccer great Landon Donovan to "look in the mirror" and "grow a pair" after the former player questioned his son's decision to skip the upcoming Gold Cup.

In an apparent attempt to paint Donovan as a hypocrite, Mark Pulisic asked AI chatbot ChatGPT to explain why the former midfielder took sabbatical ahead of the 2014 World Cup. The response, which Mark Pulisic included in his post, was that he needed rest.

Donovan was discussing Portugal's UEFA Nations League victory on Fox Sports' panel Sunday when he went on a tangent about Pulisic and Yunus Musah without naming the pair.

The two U.S. players withdrew from consideration for the Gold Cup, citing fatigue.

"This is what it means to represent your country," Donovan said. "This is what it means. And if you don't want to take this as a professional soccer player, as someone who gets the opportunity to wear that jersey and take it seriously and responsibly, then don't come in. This is what it means.

"(Cristiano Ronaldo is) 40 years old. He's played a long-ass season. He's tired. He's out there grinding. Hurt himself in the process, and I can't help but think about some of our guys on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It's pissing me off."

Mark Pulisic went on to suggest that Donovan was too afraid to directly address Pulisic and Musah because "the next time you want an interview, you will get rejected."

Donovan was left off Jurgen Klinsmann's squad for the 2014 World Cup after taking a four-month break to recover mentally and physically. He was 32 at the time and played his last match for the U.S. later that year. He made a few more club appearances for the LA Galaxy and Mexican side Leon before retiring in 2018.

"Landon Donovan took his sabbatical because he was feeling both physically and mentally exhausted after years of intense competition and the pressure that comes with being a top athlete," ChatGPT wrote in response to Mark Pulisic's query. "He'd been playing professionally from a young age and had participated in multiple World Cups, so he felt the need to step back and take some time for himself. This break allowed him to rest, travel, and ultimately return to the game with a refreshed mindset."

Pulisic, 26, is coming off one of the best seasons of his career at AC Milan. He led the Rossoneri with 17 goals in all competitions and logged a career-high 3,627 minutes.