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United States star Christian Pulisic was diagnosed with a pelvic contusion, suffered during his game-winning goal in the first half of the USA’s 1-0 win over Iran. He’s considered “day-to-day” going forward, the team announced. Pulisic posted on social media “I’ll be ready on Saturday,” when the USA plays the Netherlands in the round of 16 on Saturday.
Pulisic’s goal came at considerable cost, as he crashed into Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand. After staying down for several minutes and then receiving treatment on the side, Pulisic was able to finish out the first half, though he was moving very gingerly. Brenden Aaronson came on to replace him at halftime. Pulisic then went to the hospital as a precaution after experiencing dizziness, according to USA manager Gregg Berhalter.
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Pulisic’s contributions throughout the group stage were instrumental in the USA advancing. He assisted Tim Weah’s goal in an opening 1-1 draw against Wales, played well in a scoreless draw against England and, of course, chose the perfect time to score his first career World Cup goal, in a win-or-go-home game against Iran on Tuesday.
Should Pulisic miss time, Berhalter does have some options at his disposal. Aaronson has had a strong season in the Premier League at Leeds United, and promising 20-year-old Gio Reyna — who plays for Borussia Dortmund in Germany — played just a few minutes in the group stage.