Christian Pulisic's Calf Is a Real Problem and The USMNT Has No Answers Right Now

Emerald City, we've got some HUGE news coming out of the World Cup, and it ain't exactly good. Our USMNT is sweating hard right now, all because of Christian Pulisic's left calf! Coach Mauricio Pochettino is literally meeting with the medical team tonight, Thursday, to figure out if our star forward can even lace up for the crucial World Cup group stage match against Australia on Friday. This is massive, folks. We're talking about who tops Group D, and the uncertainty around Pulisic is hanging over the whole team like a Seattle drizzle.

The Paraguay Win Masked a Real Worry

Remember that 4-1 domination over Paraguay last week? It felt great, right? Pulisic was out there, playing strong. But apparently, it wasn't all sunshine and goals. Our guy took a knock to his left calf early on, and then, wouldn't you know it, he got kicked in the exact same spot during the game! Pochettino wisely pulled him at halftime as a precautionary measure, but Pulisic hasn't trained with his teammates since. The man has been grinding, yeah. We've seen him in the gym, even doing some ball work, but it's all been individual, with the technical staff, not with the full squad. Plus, he's been rocking a sleeve over that left calf on both Wednesday and Thursday. That's not exactly the look you want to see from your main man before a World Cup showdown, is it?

Pochettino Isn't Spilling The Be

Trade on Every Game with Kalshi

Click Here to sign up to Kalshi — Free $10 when you sign up using our link or use code: ONTAPSEA. The only federally regulated prediction market in the US. Trade on real sports outcomes. Available in all 50 states.

ans, But He's Still Hopeful Coach Pochettino kept it pretty tight-lipped when asked about Pulisic's status. He confirmed the medical meeting tonight, saying, "Tonight , the day before the game , we have a meeting with our medical area and we will assess the whole group, the players and tomorrow we will communicate on the things that we cannot agree [on] tonight." Classic coach-speak, right? He did add, "He's involv[ed], he's much better from Friday. We'll see." It sounds like Pulisic is giving it everything he's got, which you love to hear. Pochettino stressed that it's not a long-term thing, saying, "I think at the moment if he is not available for tomorrow, he will be available for the next game, but he's doing a massive effort to be ready." The coach praised Pulisic's strength and great mentality. Everyone else on the 25-man roster is good to go, so it's really just this one big question mark hovering over the team. Pochettino wouldn't even hint at who might step in if Pulisic can't play, but he admitted they are "evaluating all the possibilities." This World Cup group stage clash with Australia on Friday is absolutely vital for deciding who takes the top spot. Pulisic's teammates have seen his effort and are hoping he can make it. We'll all be holding our breath until tomorrow when the official word drops. Can our guy push through for the USMNT? We're gonna need him if we want to run deep in this tournament. Stay tuned, folks, this is going to be a wild one!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.