Why Christian Pulisic must absolutely not play in Group Stage closer vs. Turkiye

The USMNT has till now shown no evidence of being bogged down at the FIFA World Cup, promptly ensuring qualification to the knockouts with two wins in their first two games, against Paraguay and Australia. What has been even more special is the fact that the two wins have come in the absence of talisman Christian Pulisic, who picked up a leg injury in the opening game and did not participate in the clash against Australia.

Pulisic has since worn a protective sleeve and did participate in light pitch work and gym sessions. However, while Pulisic is expected to be an option once against Turkey, it is easy to see why Mauricio Pochettino might be better off not playing the AC Milan winger in what is left of the group stages. And no, it is not about his performances, which have been consistently good for his national team whenever he is called upon.

Mauricio Pochettino should not play Christian Pulisic against Turkey

The USMNT under Mauricio Pochettino has gone strength to strength, and while there were question marks before the tournament started, the first two games have resulted in a lot of answers. Under Pochettino, the team has won 16 games, drawn twice, and lost 10 games in a total of 28 matches. However, they have certainly gone up a gear as soon as the World Cup kicked off.

The defence, flanked by Chris Richards and Tim Ream has been hard to break down, while the midfield is led by Juventus’ Weston McKennie. Further, the rise of Folarin Balogun has also been evident, as he scored twice on the opening day.

Against Australia, Pochettino opted for Ricardo Pepi on the left, and the change did not impact the USMNT’s offensive threat, with the inclusion of Pulisic expected to take things up another notch. And while his return may as well result in a comfortable win against the struggling Turkey, who have already been eliminated, Pochettino would be better off keeping his star player fresh for the knockouts.

The back-to-back wins means that the USMNT has won consecutive matches at the World Cup for the first time in 96 years. There were plenty of questions about how the USMNT should line up, and the first two games have helped Pochettino understand his strongest 11 even in the absence of Pulisic.

Former Barcelona star Sergiño Dest has made the right wing position his own, and Pochettino will have complete freedom to give some other fringe stars the chance to prove themselves before the business end of the tournament arrives. The USMNT will undoubtedly be put under severe test as the tournament progresses, and while the first two games prove that they belong here, their Argentine manager will be well aware that he needs his best players fit and firing to have a chance of progressing deep.

Considering that, and the fact that Pulisic has looked in prime form whenever called upon, means that the USMNT may benefit more if he turns up fresh for the knockouts. Pulisic has 33 goals and 20 assists in 86 appearances for the USMNT per Football Reference, and it will certainly be a huge confidence booster to the rest of the squad knowing that they can still produce results even in the absence of their best player.

The USMNT has been given the surprise opportunity to rest Pulisic for their third game as they have already ensured qualification. Further, they are undoubtedly going to face much stronger and deeper squads when in the knockouts, where a fresher Pulisic may as well prove to be the difference maker once again.

If the situation was different, and the USMNT needed another result to guarantee qualification, it would have made sense for Pochettino to rush him back from the injury absence. However, as things stand, even if Pulisic himself wants to play, it might be best for his team to rest him for another match before the stakes rise once again.

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