Landon Donovan’s desperate fix for Pulisic before the World Cup: “We need the ball to hit him and go in”

The World Cup is weeks away and the United States, one of the three host nations, is feeling the strain. A number of players have suffered injuries with Mauricio Pochettino scheduled to reveal his definitive, 26-man squad on Tuesday.

And it’s not only fitness issues that are a concern. For the World Cup, Poch will want to take his strongest team - players who are in their best form. And there are some doubts whether certain players are at their best.

Much of the USMNT’s hopes this summer will be placed on the more experienced, established players such as Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, Weston McKennie, Ricardo Pepi, Timothy Weah...

Pulisic still yet to score in 2026

For Landon Donovan, Pulisic’s efficiency in front of goal has become an issue. Pulisic’s drought has dragged on for five months - the last time he found the back of the net was in Milan’s 3-0 win against Hellas Verona on December 28. His last goal for the USMNT was in November 2024.

His strike rate (0.46) isn’t great but for much of the season, Pulisic hasn’t even been hitting the target - of his 51 shots in Serie A this season, only 26, just over half, were on target.

“If I’m in his shoes now, I’d be very worried,” Donovan told First Things First. “I’ve been through long stretches in my career where it just won’t go in. I watch a lot of his games where in the right spot, he makes the right play the right moment, and then he just can’t hit the goal for some reason or the goalie makes an amazing save. What needs to happen, guys, is between now and June 12, we need to find some way, and I don’t know what the hell it is, but for the ball to hit him somehow and go in the net one time. And I promise you, if it goes in one time, it’ll be done".

Donovan hopes that Pulisic’s barren run will finally come to an end in the two warm-up matches the USMNT will play - against Senegal in Charlotte on May 31 and then against Germany in Chicago on June 6.

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