The British rapper Central Cee released a song last year in which he claimed that he and an unspecified opponent would go "band4band." The translation of that, in American terms, is the implication that "Cench" - as he is known - is willing to outmatch, outbrag, or simply outdo anyone at anything - and willingly watch both be dragged down into whatever bragadocious clash they're involved in.
If Central Cee can't win - and he will win - then no one can.
Of course, the BRIT Award-winning artist is missing the broader point here. There's collateral damage to his actions. But his will to weigh in, outspeak, or have the final word, means that whatever people, objects, or interests around him become irrelevant. Everything goes sideways. No one wins.
And so, with that, we arrive at the current state of the U.S. men's national team and the current, seemingly all-consuming, apparently never-ending drama surrounding Christian Pulisic and his decision to skip the Gold Cup, which begins this weekend. It's all a bit silly, really. Pulisic is a professional soccer player who has decided he needs a few months to rest his legs, recover from a litany of knocks, and reset ahead of what will be - by any measure - the biggest year of his career.
This is a decision that many a USMNT legend has taken exception to. Pulisic's commitment to his country has been called into question by Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey and pretty much every other U.S. talking head you can name (excpetion: Taylor Twellman, who has proved a voice of reason).
Pulisic has claimed it is total nonsense. His dad, too, has weighed in. Cue social media explosion, and endless talking points and podcast pilings on to follow.
But whatever side you take isn't really the point. The issue is now broader. We have two camps - one that says Pulisic is smart, the other that says Pulisic is selfish. And instead of the focus being on how this team needs to gear up for the 2026 World Cup, fans and pundits alike have been dragged into a circular debate that distracts from the bigger picture: Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT is reeling, having lost four straight at home for the first time since 1988, and the World Cup is now less than a year away.
Unity, more than ever, is essential. The U.S. soccer sphere is caught in a Band4Band. And somehow, it has to end.
