DOHA, Qatar – Christian Pulisic said he will do ‘everything in my power’ to be on the field Saturday for the USMNT’s round of 16 game against the Netherlands.
The U.S. star is officially listed as day to day after the ‘very painful’ injury that sent him to the hospital during the Iran game.
‘It’s a pelvic contusion. At same time, it’s not – I didn’t get hit in the balls,’ he said Thursday, looking sheepish. ‘That bone is there for a reason. I hit it well. I was sore, but I’m getting better.’
Pulisic scored from close range in the 38th minute and then collided, full speed, with Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand. Pulisic was down for several minutes before getting up and first walking and then jogging gingerly back toward the U.S. bench.
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After a sip of water, he went back into the game. It was clear he was hurting, however, and he didn’t come out with the USMNT for the second half. He was taken to a local hospital as a precaution, and watched the rest of the game on the team trainer’s phone.
‘Once I got through that and final whistle blew, I was very very happy,’ Pulisic said.
The USMNT FaceTimed him from the locker room after the 1-0 win that sent them into the round of 16, and he was back at the team hotel and waiting for them when they arrived. Pulisic was laughing and smiling as he filmed his teammates entering the hotel, and Tim Weah and DeAndre Yedlin greeted him with big hugs.
