Pulisic subs on as Türkiye beats U.S. on last kick...
Key takeaways
- The U.S. knew before kickoff that, whatever happened, they would face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32 on Wednesday in Santa Clara.
- And presumably they will do so with Christian Pulisic, who entered just before the hour and played with familiar pace and power.
- Pulisic did not seem to have any limitations from the calf injury that forced him out of the opening match at halftime and left him on the bench completely for the second game.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Fans may reasonably say that the result -- Türkiye 3, U.S. 2 -- matters little, both because the U.S. fielded a team full of reserves and because the group's larger fate was already determined after they beat Paraguay and Australia in their two previous games. The U.S. knew before kickoff that, whatever happened, they would face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32 on Wednesday in Santa Clara.
They still will. And presumably they will do so with Christian Pulisic, who entered just before the hour and played with familiar pace and power. While the U.S. succeeded in his absence, there is no question the Americans are far better with their incisive attacker than without him.
Pulisic did not seem to have any limitations from the calf injury that forced him out of the opening match at halftime and left him on the bench completely for the second game.