Pulisic Substituted Due to Calf Issue in World Cup Opener

Inglewood, Calif. — During the U.S. men’s soccer team’s World Cup opener against Paraguay, Christian Pulisic exited the match at halftime. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino explained the substitution was due to Pulisic’s inability to loosen his left calf.

Pochettino noted that two days before the 4-1 victory over Paraguay, Pulisic was kicked, but performed excellently in the first half. His contributions included an assist on a goal scored by Folarin Balogun. However, at halftime, Pulisic struggled to warm up, leading to his precautionary substitution while the U.S. was leading 3-0.

Pochettino stated, “Hope that is not a big issue. That was so rushed, because (it) was in the last minute that we need to change and to do the substitution. But now I think it’s better, and hope for the next game he will be available.”

This match marked the first World Cup game on U.S. soil since 1994. The U.S. team’s following match is scheduled for June 19 against Australia in Seattle.

After the match, Pulisic expressed optimism about his condition, saying, “I just got a bit of a kick in the first half, so I’m really hoping that it’s nothing. Taking a little bit of a precaution today but I’m hoping I’ll be fine in the next few days. I’ve had similar things before and yeah, I’m staying positive. I don’t think it’s anything at all.”