Colin Cowherd, the outspoken host of The Herd, recently took aim at the tone of U.S. soccer coverage, labeling it "soft" and arguing that the sport’s media need to adopt a tougher stance.
His comments came in the wake of Christian Pulisic’s disappointing display at the World Cup, where the American star suffered a bone bruise and microfracture in his knee during the loss to Belgium.
Rather than shielding the forward, Cowherd praised former internationals such as Carli Lloyd, Landon Donovan and Taylor Twellman for calling out Pulisic’s subpar performance, saying that holding a marquee player accountable is a sign of a maturing soccer culture.
A Call for Accountability
The analyst pointed out that even the league’s elite quarterbacks, who command massive contracts and endorsement deals, are routinely dissected when they underperform, a standard he believes should apply to soccer’s biggest names as well.
Cowherd also emphasized that Pulisic’s injury does not excuse a lack of sharpness on the field, noting that the physical setback was evident but that the player’s output still fell short of expectations.