The latest episode of Christian Pulisic’s Paramount+ docuseries did more than reveal behind-the-scenes moments from his career. It exposed a widening crack in the foundation of U.S. men’s soccer.

Pulisic and teammate Tim Weah were candid. They are tired of hearing former USMNT stars question the current generation’s heart. “The biggest cop-out of all time,” Pulisic said, mocking the notion that “back in our day we would fight and we would die on that field.” Weah went further: “I just feel like they’re really evil, honestly, because they’ve been players and they know what it’s like when you’re getting bashed.”

The word “evil” has since been clipped, memed, and set to villain music on Twitter and TikTok. Charmin toilet paper memes, the long-running jab calling this team “soft,” are circulating again. Donovan’s quip about “our guys on vacation” has resurfaced. Less talk, more trophies, seems apt for all sides.

A culture clash years in the making

The rift has been building for months. In June, Landon Donovan, a legend Pulisic once idolized, went on Fox and praised Cristiano Ronaldo for suiting up for Portugal after a long season. He then remarked that he could not help thinking about U.S. players “on vacation” instead of competing in the Gold Cup. Alexi Lalas had already criticized Pulisic’s decision to skip the tournament, saying he did not understand how any player could refuse to represent his country when it mattered most.

From the old guard’s perspective, the Gold Cup was the last major test before a home . They see absence as a lack of urgency, even a lack of pride. For them, the USMNT’s identity was forged in grit, not glamour, built on memories of running themselves into the ground against the likes of Germany and in tournaments where few gave them a chance.

The current generation sees it differently. Pulisic’s résumé includes a Champions League title and a decade as the team’s focal point. Weah noted that “the guys before us didn’t win anything either” and claimed Pulisic has “had a better career than every single one of the guys that speak negative on us.” To them, taking the summer off was a deliberate move to preserve their legs for 2026.

If the goal was to end the conversation, it has done the opposite. Social media split into two camps. One side echoed former veteran Dax McCarty: “Evil? Getting criticized when the performances have been below par for the better part of a year now? Come on guys. Take the criticism, ball out in the World Cup and shut everyone up!” The other side argued that the old guard’s harshest voices are cashing in on negativity, with one Reddit user writing, “Zero lies detected… selfish and hypocritical fits for some of these guys.”

The “soft” label is now a strategic problem. Every slow start or lost duel will be framed as proof. The NBA and NFL have their own versions of this, Shaq vs. Dwight, Barkley vs. Durant for instance, and U.S. soccer has entered the same cycle. The difference is timing. Those feuds rarely erupt in the months before a once-in-a-lifetime home World Cup.

This is no longer just about Pulisic or Weah’s feelings. It is about what kind of program the U.S. wants to present to the world in 2026.

The risk now is letting a generational rift deepen. The old guard calls it tough love. The new guard hears personal disrespect. U.S. Soccer and Mauricio Pochettino need to bridge that gap, because both sides ultimately want the same thing: a U.S. team ready to compete at the highest level.

If this team wins, the narrative flips overnight. Those same pundits will call them resilient and trailblazing. If they stumble, “evil” and “soft” will be the soundbites that stick. With the World Cup opener less than a year away, the window to change that perception is closing fast.