Landon Donovan has suggested Christian Pulisic isn’t a ‘big game player’ the United States can rely on after their humbling World Cup exit.The USMNT were knocked out of a tournament on home soil in the Round of 16 by Belgium, losing 4-1 in Seattle amid a storm over star striker Folarin Balogun’s overturned red card.Pulisic has faced criticism in the wake of the USMNT’s World Cup exitGettyBalogun and Pulisic started the game but both failed to make much of an impact against aging European opposition deemed beyond their ‘Golden Generation’ by many.In the wake of an embarrassing World Cup defeat, US soccer legend Donovan slammed the latter for failing to show up when it mattered most.Christian Pulisic not a ‘big game player’ for USMNT“I’m starting to look back, and it’s more than just a trend now,” Donovan began, explaining to Unfiltered Soccer co-host Tim Howard that he has a friend who often suggests Pulisic ‘won’t turn up’ in the big moments.“It is. When the games are easy, and it’s a home qualifier, and it’s Jamaica, yes (he turns up).“But in the big moments and the big games, he just hasn’t… I’m just saying it factually. He is who he is at this point.“We want him to be more, because we’ve seen the talent.”Donovan then shared disappointment that Pulisic didn’t take the Belgium game by the scruff of the neck, and questioned reports that he had asked to be subbed out of the clash due to a lingering injury.He continued: “This was a game where you needed him to go, ‘Give me the ball, I’m gonna stick it in the back of the net, it’s 2-2, let’s go.’ And he just didn’t. He wasn’t even close to it.“There’s reporting that he asked to get subbed out of the game. I can’t confirm that. So, I don’t I don’t know if that’s true or not. But the reality is, Tim, he came out of a World Cup knockout game at home.“You would’ve had to f***ing drag me off the field. And I would’ve punched the doctor in the face and said, ‘You’re not taking me off the field. Put whatever you need to put in me, and I’m staying on the field.’Donovan doesn’t believe Pulisic is a ‘big game’ player for the USGettyThe USMNT icon questioned Pulisic’s substitution against BelgiumGetty“I couldn’t believe he didn’t stay in.”On the whole, it’s fair to say that Pulisic had a World Cup to forget.‘Captain America’ was supposed to leave his mark on the tournament, which began with a 45-minute flash of excitement when he starred in the first half of the group stage opener against Paraguay, before being substituted due to the aforementioned injury.He then didn’t play in the 2-0 win against Australia, and only made a cameo in the dead rubber game against Turkey.Pulisic played a promising 87 minutes in the Round of 32 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but his World Cup ended when he was hooked in the 58th minute with the US 3-1 down against Belgium.He cut a frustrated figure on the bench, and pulled his jersey over his head as the final half an hour unfolded.Pulisic cut a frustrated figure on the bench as Belgium beat the USGettyPulisic, though, hasn’t been the only star to face criticism following the exit.US lost agaisnt Belgium ‘before stepping on the pitch’Carli Lloyd, a two-time Women’s World Cup winner, believes Mauricio Pochettino’s team had lost to Belgium before even walking onto the field.“I felt like they lost the game before they even stepped out on the pitch,” the Fox Sports analyst said at full-time on Monday night.“And I’m not sure why, and I don’t know the reasons.USWNT legend Lloyd believes Belgium beat the US before stepping on the fieldGetty“But just from the beginning: Chasing, tentative, scared. Just not confident on the ball.“You wanted some of those big-time players to step up in big-time moments.“And I gotta be honest: I was a bit disappointed in Christian Pulisic.“Whether he wants to be the star of this team or not, we didn’t see enough from him in this particular game — and, really, the whole World Cup.“Little glimpses here and there.”Later, she posted on X: “You rest when your playing career is over. Period.”Stay up to date on all things USMNT across our talkSPORT platforms – subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news, opinion, exclusive interviews and our daily unfiltered, unscripted show ‘The S* Word, from 8am ET.