Christian Pulisic Out for USMNT’s Second World Cup Game

Christian Pulisic aimed to recover in time for the United States Men’s National Team’s second World Cup match, but a week proved insufficient. His calf injury from the opening game hindered his ability to practice, and he will sit out the game against Australia.

Mauricio Pochettino, the team’s manager, confirmed this news on a FOX Sports pregame show. Pulisic was previously substituted before the second half of their World Cup opener against Paraguay, where he had already made an assist.

Pochettino remained mostly silent about Pulisic’s condition until the official announcement. On Thursday, he stated that Pulisic was “much better” and might be fit for the final group stage game against Turkey.

The team planned a meeting on Thursday night to assess the possibility of Pulisic playing, but the outcome was not promising. Pochettino acknowledged Pulisic’s significant efforts to rejoin his teammates on the field.

During Thursday’s practice, Pulisic participated in modified training alone, continuing the pattern from earlier in the week. Sebastian Berhalter replaced him at halftime in the opening match, while Malik Tillman elevated his play in Pulisic’s absence.

The upcoming match against Australia, following their victory over Türkiye, will decide the leading position in Group D. A win for the United States would mark their first consecutive World Cup victories since the inaugural tournament and secure a place in the knockout stage.

However, with Pulisic unavailable, the challenge becomes more daunting for the U.S. team.