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\n Pulisic exits the USMNT\u2019s World Cup opener (Photo: Shaun Clark\/ISI Photos\/ISI Photos via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Speaking after the match, Pulisic and head coach Mauricio Pochettino explained that the 27-year-old winger had been kicked in the calf two days prior. Then, in the first half, he received another kick in a similar area. At halftime, they said, it got tight, so they decided, in Pulisic\u2019s words, to \u201ctak(e) a little bit of precaution today. But I\u2019m hoping I\u2019ll be fine the next few days.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pochettino also sounded optimistic. \u201cI hope it\u2019s not a big issue,\u201d he said. So, the American party after Friday\u2019s 4-1 win continued.<\/p>\n
But then, on Monday, Pulisic trained separately from his U.S. teammates.<\/p>\n
For roughly 20 minutes, as 25 U.S. players did possession drills on the field nearest to assembled media, Pulisic worked with two performance staffers in the far corner of a far field. He hopped from left to right and right to left. He did some single-leg jumps. By the time reporters and cameras were escorted away from the fields, Pulisic was back in a makeshift gym area.<\/p>\n
Was it more precaution? Was it gamesmanship? Is there real concern? Will Pulisic be available for Friday\u2019s match against Australia? How\u2019s he doing?<\/p>\n
Four teammates \u2014 two on Monday, two on Tuesday \u2014 sounded unconcerned.<\/p>\n
\u201cChristian will be ready, everyone, let\u2019s relax,\u201d midfielder Tyler Adams said Monday.<\/p>\n
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\n Tyler Adams offered a positive outlook on Christian Pulisic\u2019s fitness. (Jamie Squire \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter added Tuesday: \u201cI\u2019m sure he\u2019ll be ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
But then, an hour later, Pulisic wasn\u2019t even on the field for the 15 minutes of training that were open to media.<\/p>\n
His mother and his agent were there, watching alongside other friends and family members of players. But Pulisic was in the gym, sheltered from sun and cameras, working individually with the U.S. team\u2019s performance staff again.<\/p>\n
So will he play?<\/p>\n
Nobody knows, and a cynic would argue that\u2019s the point.<\/p>\n
Perhaps Pulisic and Pochettino know. But the Aussies don\u2019t. And there\u2019s no reason for U.S. Soccer to tell them \u2014 or even to provide any clues.<\/p>\n
In fact, there are reasons to mess with Australia, via the media. There are reasons to send mixed messages. There are reasons to do what soccer coaches in Europe, South America, everywhere have done for decades.<\/p>\n
There is a long history of subterfuge at World Cups \u2014 a long history of sharing injury information that isn\u2019t exactly transparent or even accurate. In 2014, for example, ahead of a round of 16 match against Belgium, U.S. Soccer said that striker Jozy Altidore was \u201cready and available<\/a>.\u201d In reality, Altidore would later reveal<\/a>, he had a grade 2 hamstring tear and wouldn\u2019t have been fit until the latter stages of the tournament, if at all.<\/p>\n Nonetheless, everyone wondered about Altidore\u2019s hamstring. Everyone talked about it. Everyone asked about it \u2014 just like they are asking about Pulisic\u2019s left calf today.<\/p>\n \n David Beckham\u2019s injured foot captivated England ahead of the 2002 World Cup. (John Peters \/ Manchester United via Getty Images)<\/p>\n There is also a long history of body parts driving news cycles. In Italy, there was Roberto Baggio\u2019s hamstring<\/a> leading up to the 1994 World Cup final. There were two English metatarsals \u2014 David Beckham\u2019s in 2002 and Wayne Rooney\u2019s in 2006. During the 2023 Women\u2019s World Cup, Australian striker Sam Kerr\u2019s calf became a \u201cnational obsession,\u201d as The Sydney Morning Herald<\/a> wrote. It got to the point that Kerr had to issue an Instagram statement<\/a> saying she hoped her status would not become a \u201cdistraction\u201d from the team\u2019s objectives.<\/p>\n Pulisic\u2019s calf, to be clear, has not gotten to that point.<\/p>\n It hasn\u2019t even gotten to the point of Pulisic\u2019s pelvis in 2022<\/a>. Having suffered a pelvic contusion while scoring a decisive goal against Iran, Americans wondered about his status for three days leading into a knockout game against the Netherlands \u2014 until U.S. Soccer declared him fit on the eve of the match.<\/p>\n This time, the prevailing assumption, in part based on teammates\u2019 words, is that Pulisic will be fine and ready to face Australia.<\/p>\n \t But you\u2019ll also find people who suspect that the injury could be more worrisome than the team\u2019s public words are letting on.<\/p>\n Or, perhaps, it is what it looks like: a not-insignificant concern that could dissipate by Friday or could linger throughout the tournament.<\/p>\n Either way, people close to Pulisic won\u2019t say.<\/p>\n The team spokesman won\u2019t elaborate on the nature of the injury.<\/p>\n The only safe bet is that the vagueness will likely continue, like it did with U.S. center back Chris Richards<\/a> until the week of the World Cup opener.<\/p>\n Pulisic\u2019s calf, therefore, will continue to draw craned necks on Wednesday in Irvine, on Thursday in Seattle, and maybe \u2014 hopefully not, but potentially \u2014 beyond.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-57513287-1-scaled.jpg\")
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