SAN JOSE, Calif. — By now, you may have heard that Christian Pulisic isn’t with the U.S. men’s national team preparing for the Concacaf Gold Cup, which the Americans kick off on Sunday against Trinidad and Tobago (coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET on FOX).

But before and after the USMNT went through its final pre-tournament training session on Saturday, Pulisic’s absence continued to be a hot topic. 

For the uninitiated, Pulisic asked not to participate in the Gold Cup because of fatigue following two grueling seasons with Italian club AC Milan. That decision was roundly criticized by a number of former U.S. legends, most notably Landon Donovan.

On Thursday, Pulisic finally explained his reasoning during an interview with CBS Sports, and revealed that he wanted to play in this month’s two pre-Gold Cup exhibitions versus Türkiye and Switzerland. Pochettino, who wanted to use the same squad all summer, turned him down.

“That’s the coach’s decision,” Pulisic said. “I fully respect that. I didn’t understand it, but it is what it is.”

During his pregame press conference on Saturday, I asked Pochettino about Pulisic’s comments. The former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur manager didn’t hold back.

“Players don’t need to understand,” Pochettino said. “Players need to listen and to stick with our plan. They cannot dictate the plan.

“He explained why he only wanted to be involved in two games and not the Gold Cup, and I respect that,” added Pochettino. “I understand him. But I do need that he understands our decision.

“When I signed my contract with the [U.S. Soccer] Federation, I am the head coach. I am not a mannequin.”

Pulisic also told CBS, whose parent company produces a documentary series on him, that he hasn’t spoken with Pochettino much since the Argentine was hired last September on a contract through next summer’s World Cup.

“We had one phone call where we discussed everything,” Pulisic said. “He understood kind of where I was coming from, and that’ as much conversation as I’ve had with him.”

Pochettino said that he makes sure not to talk to any particular player more than any other, so it doesn’t seem like he’s playing favorites.

“I love to be in communication with my players,” the 53-year-old said. “I love to communicate, but at the same time, I want to [ensure] that all the players feel the same respect from the coaching staff and from myself.”

A few hours earlier, before the Americans trained in nearby Santa Clara ahead of Sunday’s match at PayPal Park, home of the San Jose Earthquakes, U.S. veteran Chris Richards was asked about what has become a public feud between Pulisic and Donovan.

“At the end of the day, we’re just focused on the people that are here,” Richards said. “Of course, Christian’s a big part of our group. But he’s not here. So we just focus on the people who are here and who are ready to win. That’s been kind of our big message.”

It has to be. For a team that enters the regional championship having lost four consecutive games, beating the Soca Warriors has to be where all their energy and attention is directed. A win on Sunday would help put the spotlight back on the field.

“I think in the last few months, we’ve had a lot of people talking kind of down on the team, which is okay,” Richards said. “We love our fans. We love our haters as well. So we kind of take that and it gives us motivation to, hopefully, change the narrative.”

Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.

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