The USMNT Gets Pulisic Back, But Cristian Roldan's Muscle Strain Has Emerald City Fans Sweating

Okay, Seattle fam, massive news dropped from the USMNT camp today that's got us all buzzing, but with a serious gut punch for our Sounders. Christian Pulisic is officially back in full training with his teammates for the first time in over a week! But before we go full celebration mode, our very own Cristian Roldan is dealing with a muscle strain, missing today's session, and his status is day-to-day. Talk about a rollercoaster!

Puli-GOAT Is Back in Action!

Seriously, this is HUGE for the Stars and Stripes. Pulisic, our Capitan America, was out there on Monday, running through the opening exercises, doing those quick, sharp jogs across the pitch, and even getting right into the rondos, getting touches on the ball. He was in cleats, not those tell-tale sneakers he was stuck in last week, and get this: absolutely no leg sleeve on that left calf! It’s a sight for sore eyes after he hadn't trained with the full squad since June 11. Remember, he picked up a knock right before the 4-1 win over Paraguay on June 12, played an impressive first half, then came off at halftime as a precaution because he was kicked in the same area. He ended up sitting out the 2-0 win over Australia on Friday, working individually all last week to get right. But his longtime buddy and teammate, Alex Zendejas, said he was in "good spirits," and the guys made sure to talk to him about "other stuff" to keep his mind off the injury. Now, he's back, building up fitness, and could be ready for Thursday's gro

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up stage finale against Turkiye. What a relief!

Roldan's Status a Real Concern for the 12s

But here's the gut-punch for us, the 12s, right as we were getting hyped: while Pulisic is getting right, our very own Cristian Roldan is stuck on the sidelines. He completely missed Monday's training session due to a muscle strain, and his status is just "day-to-day." This isn't just a minor blip for the national team, folks. We're talking about a core part of our Seattle Sounders squad, a guy who consistently represents the Emerald City on the national stage. This is a tough pill to swallow, especially with how vital he is to both his club and country. Folarin Balogun, who absolutely lit up Paraguay with a brace, also had a modified session today, starting with a jog then hitting the gym for individual work, but he's expected to be good to go for Turkiye. So, while the USMNT's attacking depth seems okay overall, Roldan's situation is what's really got us holding our breath here in Seattle. The good news, if you can call it that when one of our own is hurting, is the USMNT has already clinched top spot in Group D, so there's no frantic, win-or-go-home urgency for the Turkiye game. Pulisic *could* be available for selection, but how much he'll actually be involved is still up in the air given his calf issue and the game state. For us in Seattle, though, all eyes are locked on Cristian Roldan. We desperately need our guy healthy, and this "day-to-day" update is going to have us checking our phones constantly for any news. Let's send all the good vibes for a speedy recovery for our Sounder!

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