Christian Pulisic ready to play as calf issue fails to derail USMNT

Christian Pulisic smiled through a recent setback, saying he feels "physically? Good" and "mentally? Even better" after a calf problem limited him to 45 minutes in the World Cup opener and ruled him out of the second game. The USMNT have already reached the knockout stage following wins over Paraguay and Australia, and Pulisic's brief appearance in the first match included a dazzling contribution before the injury was re‑aggravated.

He savored the atmosphere after the Australia win, joining the crowd in Seattle as the team sang Country Roads. "World Cups are so special," he said, adding that moments like that give him chills and that he is "just loving it," whether he is playing or not. There is a chance he could feature against Turkey, though Mauricio Pochettino will decide whether to risk him.

Pulisic confirmed his readiness: "I'm obviously excited...

United States, Seattle

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