Christian Pulisic's journey back to full fitness has been a major talking point for the US men's national team at the World Cup. With the round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina approaching, fans are eager to see the star forward reclaim his spot in the starting lineup.
A closer look at Pulisic's status reveals that he suffered a calf injury during the 4-1 win over Paraguay, which forced him to miss the subsequent game against Australia. He made a second-half appearance as a substitute in the 3-2 loss to Türkiye, bringing his total World Cup playing time to 77 minutes.
Assessing Pulisic's Injury
Pulisic provided an update on his condition, stating, 'I'm feeling good, it's been a good week of preparation. I felt really good in the last game,' in a conversation with Jenny Taft ahead of the USA's practice session. He expressed his excitement to participate in the upcoming game, saying, 'I'm excited to go for it tomorrow.'
When asked about the possibility of starting, Pulisic mentioned, 'I think we'll get it figured out today.' This leaves room for speculation about his role in the forthcoming match.
Pulisic's World Cup Performance So Far
Although Pulisic has not scored at the World Cup yet, he has made a significant impact in the limited time he has played. In the opening win against Paraguay, he assisted Folarin Balogun's first goal before being substituted at halftime.
In the match against Türkiye, Pulisic's introduction in the 58th minute injected new energy into the team. As USA midfielder Sebastian Berhalter noted, 'You saw his quality, and you saw the impact he had when he came in. He’s our guy. He’s, more importantly, just a great person that everyone follows, and he’s a leader in his own right.'
Pulisic's brief appearance against Türkiye was marked by his attempts to create scoring opportunities, including a shot that rattled the right post and another that went just wide to the left. His presence on the field has been a game-changer, and his potential return to the starting lineup could significantly influence the outcome of the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
