Overview
- Pulisic left the U.S. World Cup opener at halftime after taking a kick to the back of his left calf and has since reported stiffness that limited him in the game.
- U.S. Soccer says he is "day to day," and he completed a second straight day of individual rehab on Tuesday without joining full-team training.
- Coach Mauricio Pochettino and teammates have publicly expressed cautious optimism about his recovery and called the halftime removal a precautionary decision.
- A final availability call is expected in the coming days for the June 19 match in Seattle and Pochettino has options such as Tim Weah, Gio Reyna, Alejandro Zendejas, Haji Wright or Brenden Aaronson if Pulisic cannot play.
- Pulisic's presence matters tactically because he created key chances in the opener, so his absence could force a change in how the U.S. attacks and affect the team's standing in Group D.