Christian Pulisic’s World Cup ended in frustration, with the United States forward watching from the bench as Belgium closed out a 4-1 win and brought the Americans’ tournament run to a halt. For a player expected to help drive the U.S. attack, it was a difficult finish to a campaign disrupted by injury and marked by limited impact.
Pulisic, the most accomplished attacking player in the U.S. setup, went scoreless in his second World Cup appearance. He has produced 33 goals in 90 matches for the national team, but his World Cup record remains modest, with just one goal in eight games — the decisive strike against Iran during the 2022 group stage.
Monday’s defeat brought another injury setback. For the second time in the tournament, Pulisic was forced out in the second half, this time after twisting his right ankle in the 52nd minute while stretching for a shot and making contact with the boot of Belgium captain Youri Tielemans.
Pulisic stayed down on the field for several moments before getting back to his feet, clearly favoring the injured foot. With the U.S. already trailing 3-1, he was substituted in the 59th minute, making way for Sebastian Berhalter.
Being forced to leave the match was “difficult for me to deal with,” Pulisic said afterward.
“I felt really good this summer with the guys and I thought my level was high,” Pulisic said. “It’s disappointing I didn’t quite have the moments I was hoping to and to try to help us to get over this next step of beating a really good team.”
(Photo by John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images)
After the match, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said he hoped the injury would not prove serious and that Pulisic would be able to return smoothly to AC Milan. World Cup players are typically granted 21 days off after their tournament ends before reporting back to their clubs.
Pulisic was slowed by a calf injury during the group stage. After a sparkling first half in the first U.S. game, a 4-1 victory over Paraguay, he sat for the rest of the match due to stiffness from a calf injury incurred in training.
(Photo by Jared C. Tilton – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
He sat out the Americans’ win over Australia before entering as a substitute in the group-stage loss to Turkey. Pulisic returned to the starting lineup for the Americans’ 2-0 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32.
He said Monday he will “try and stay positive,” adding: “I did a lot of good things and the team did as well.”
“He’s going to bounce back,” American defender Alex Freeman said. “He’s a great player and a person that’s always going to fight.”
United States Press Conference: Mauricio Pochettino on Round of 16 Loss vs Belgium
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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