IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Christian Pulisic says he feels ‘great’ now after missing games world cup He suffered a calf injury in that game and hopes to play for the U.S. team in Thursday night’s final group game against Turkey.
Pulisic played dynamically in the first half. American military’s historic 4-1 victory Approximately two weeks ago, in his home World Cup opener against Paraguay, the AC Milan midfielder suffered a training injury and was forced to leave at half-time.
Pulisic said he almost played. USA beat Australia 2-0 It was last Friday, but it was called off in order to get closer to full fitness for upcoming matches. he has returned to practice with teammates This week after training alone before a trip to Seattle last week.
“Of course I want to play (against Turkey),” Pulisic said before the United States’ practice at Great Park on Wednesday. “We’ll discuss that with the coaches and the medical staff. Obviously it’s unlikely that you’ll come back and play 90 minutes immediately after missing a game, but we’ll see.”
U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino on Wednesday did not reveal his plans to use Pulisic against Turkey, which makes no sense for either team. The United States maintains its lead in the group, but Turkey was eliminated from the final tournament.
“Pulisic is in discussions with the medical (staff),” Pochettino said at an afternoon press conference at SoFi Stadium. “We have to decide if it’s possible to play from the beginning or if it’s possible to come off the bench and play the second half.”
Pochettino suggested that players such as Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards, Anthony Robinson and Tyler Adams, who have already received yellow cards, are unlikely to play, at least as a starter.
Pochettino said: “For players who have yellow cards, there is no need for them to receive another yellow card and be unable to play in the next stage.” “The simple answer is not to play them in the first place.”
Pulisic hopes to have at least some playing time in his plans as the U.S. national team builds up for the Round of 32 match in Santa Clara, Calif., on July 1. Pulisic was denied his one chance at the World Cup due to a calf injury, but was confident he would not be sidelined for long.
“I’ve never feared anything worse than this,” Pulisic said. “Obviously, I was pushing and I was on the verge of playing the last game. I felt a little bit of something[against Paraguay]but I definitely pushed through in the first half and was able to get through it. But, certainly, I wasn’t completely ready, but I wasn’t afraid of anything worse.”
Since there is no connection between the United States and Turkey, Pochettino will likely be resting the key players in his starting XI and giving some of his substitutes perhaps their only chance to play. That sounds great to Richards, who doesn’t think a little time off will be a hindrance.
“Our training is pretty intense,” Richards said. “I think the fitness is fine. I think the sharpness is fine. Of course it’s good to have some kind of rhythm, but if they get a chance (on Thursday), I think they deserve it. As for the next game, I think they’ll be fine.”
Pulisic was visibly excited as a spectator during the United States’ victory in Seattle, and he and his teammates celebrated their first consecutive World Cup victory since 1930 by reacting admirably against their second consecutive opponent. most skilled offensive playerEspecially in the first half of the game against Australia, which made Pulisic very happy.
“It’s not surprising to me,” Pulisic said. “We see what this team is capable of. We have depth. We have really strong players in a lot of positions. I don’t have to do everything. It’s a very strong team. They all support each other. That’s what’s so fun about this team, and it was fun to watch the team perform, especially the way we went into the game.”
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/FIFA-World-Cup
