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Laken Litman College Football & Soccer Analyst
LOS ANGELES STADIUM — Christian Pulisic moved briskly through the mixed zone interview area, escorted by a U.S. Soccer official. He kept his head down, did his best not to make eye contact with reporters and beelined for the team bus.
The U.S. men’s national team lost its first match of this World Cup on Thursday night when Türkiye stunned the co-hosts, 3-2, in the last seconds of stoppage time. The Americans entered having already topped Group D and clinched a berth in the knockouts, but a draw would have been better. Especially with the squad looking to keep momentum and morale high ahead of its round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, July 1 in the San Francisco Bay Area.
One of the positives from this group-stage finale, though, was the highly anticipated return of Pulisic. He had only played 45 minutes of this tournament so far after suffering a calf injury that forced him off at halftime of the Americans’ 4-1 victory over Paraguay two weeks ago. Pulisic begrudgingly missed the Australia game and didn’t start vs. Türkiye.
US forward #10 Christian Pulisic control the ball during the 2026 World Cup Group D football match between Turkey and USA at the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP via Getty Images)
But Thursday night, he came on in the 58th minute, giving the USA a massive boost. The game was tied 2-2 after Sebastian Berhalter unleashed a rocket in the 49th minute, and Pulisic injected fresh energy and belief in the team. The tempo picked up almost instantly with him on the field.
"You saw his quality, and you saw the impact he had when he came in," Berhalter told reporters afterward. "He’s our guy. He’s, more importantly, just a great person that everyone follows, and he’s a leader in his own right."
The 27-year-old superstar immediately began creating chances and testing the Turkish defense, first with an opportunity in the 62nd minute and then a minute later when his shot rattled the right post. In the 77th, he sent another attempt just wide to the left.
U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino’s lineup included only three players who had ever started in a World Cup match — he rested regular starters, including four players who had picked up yellow cards. There were moments in the first half where that group lacked cohesion and struggled to find rhythm. Pulisic added speed, aggressiveness and urgency once he joined them.
"Whenever you have Christian coming off the bench, it’s a positive," said Brenden Aaronson, who made his first start of the tournament. "Christian is a fantastic player. I’ve always looked up to him my entire career, and being able to play by his side in the last five years has been amazing. I’ve learned so much from him. He makes such a difference. A lot of attention goes to him, so other guys can have moments, have chances.
"He was electric, as always."
Pulisic was in an unusually light, upbeat mood the day before. It was his first time addressing reporters since the win over Paraguay, where he helped set up two American goals. He said his left calf — injured in training before the opener — was feeling good after spending the week with the full squad. He was smiling and candid and just seemed genuinely grateful to be back with his teammates at the World Cup.
(Photo by John Todd/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
The AC Milan winger is an emotional player who is deeply invested in the U.S. team’s success. Even though he was on the bench for the Australia game last Friday, he was beaming with pride afterward, walking the field with his teammates and singing "Take Me Home, Country Roads."
"It’s so much fun to be here, be a part of this team, whether I’m playing or not," Pulisic said earlier this week. "Honestly, it’s just like, it’s the best experience that you can ever live. So I’m just loving it."
Now, the stakes rise for the USA as the knockout stage approaches, where every match is win or go home. Much has been made of how this home World Cup could shape Pulisic’s legacy. He enters this next phase healthy and fit, with an opportunity to deliver when it matters most.
"He’s a special player, he’s an important player," said Mark McKenzie, who made his World Cup debut vs. Türkiye. "Somebody who can create something out of nothing, so it was great to see him back."
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