Tim Weah “focused on the positives” in USMNT return

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Tim Weah might have had an eventful start to the European club season, but is now focusing on the U.S. men’s national team only. Weah is in USMNT camp for the first time since standing up for teammate Christian Pulisic this past summer. Following Pulisic’s absence from the USMNT’s summer schedule, the star forward received ample criticism from former national team players, who questioned his commitment for the program ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Weah, who was interviewed for the Paramount+ documentary series “Pulisic,” hit back at those former USMNT players in an episode in August. “I think those guys are chasing checks, and for me I just feel like they’re really evil,” Weah said in the episode. “They’ve been players, and they know what it’s like when you’re getting bashed. Those are the same guys that’ll turn around and shake your hand and try to be friendly with you at the end of the day. Don’t get me wrong, I respect all of them. They were players I looked up to.“But quite frankly, the guys before us didn’t win anything either…Christian himself has had a better career than every single one of the guys that speak negative on us,” Weah added. Since that episode aired, Weah has moved to Ligue 1 side Marseille on loan from Serie A side Juventus. The USMNT winger has featured in all three matches for the French club, logging 180 minutes to date. As he now prepares to team up with Pulisic during the USMNT’s September matches, Weah is focused on the present and not the past. “I’m fully focused on the positives now,” Weah said in a press conference Thursday. “I’m leaving all that negative energy out the window. I think right now it’s important to kind of shift the focus to what we’re doing as a group, and what this team is doing, and how we can execute performances and kind of take our game to that next level in order to be prepared for the World Cup.“And I’m a hundred percent focused on that and if that means blacking out all the noise, that’s what we’re going to have to do,” he added. “We’re just focused on what our main goal is and we’re here at each camp trying to build and I’m so happy to be back with the boys.”Weah wasn’t the only American player to make a club move this summer. Johnny Cardoso and Gio Reyna were also on the move prior to the Summer Transfer Window closing, with Cardoso moving to Atletico Madrid and Reyna joining Borussia Moenchengladbach. Unlike Weah, Cardoso and Reyna were not included for the upcoming pair of matches against South Korea and Japan, a decision made by head coach Mauricio Pochettino. Even though he switched countries and quickly adjusted to a new league and club, Weah had zero doubts on not representing the USMNT this month.“I never thought about not coming into camp,” Weah said. “I think the national team is also a priority to me as well so coming here, being with the group, and kind of building up on what we already have, and fine tuning a lot of things for me is important because at the end of the day, the goal is nine months away. “We have to perform and be on top of our game,” he added. “So any chance I get to come in and kind of build with these guys, I’m a hundred percent for it. I’m always here.”Weah is joined by Pulisic, Alex Zendejas, Josh Sargent, Damion Downs, and Folarin Balogun in the attacking corps.