Pulisic injured as US opens Seattle against Australia

Christian Pulisic is ruled out with a left calf injury as the United States hosts Australia at Lumen Field in Seattle. Cristian Roldan, who knows how loud the stadium can get, expects an electrifying atmosphere following the U.S.’s 4-1 win over Paraguay, but c

The noise in Seattle can hit you before the ball ever does.

Cristian Roldan knows that rhythm. He’s played for the Seattle Sounders since 2015, watched Lumen Field turn into a place that swells and tightens with every U.S. possession, and he expects Friday to be no different when the United States faces Australia at the home of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.

The Americans arrive with momentum after a 4-1 victory over Paraguay in their World Cup opener in Southern California. But that wave of excitement is coming with a sharp edge: the biggest name on the roster isn’t taking the field.

Coach Mauricio Pochettino announced Friday morning that Christian Pulisic will not play. Pulisic had trained apart from his teammates on Thursday for the fourth straight day because of his left calf injury.

Roldan, standing in the middle of a city that treats soccer like a second language, tried to put the emotional focus where it belongs—on the support the team believes it can feel from the first whistle.

“I fully expect this crowd to be extremely loud. And, they’re going to energize our group,” Roldan said. “This is one of the loudest stadiums in the world when you think about Seahawks games or Sounders games.“

He pointed to what he saw in other World Cup venues, referencing the atmosphere during the Belgium game against Egypt, and said the city of Seattle should “come out and show out.” His message to the group was simple: use the noise to power the next phase.

“What excites me is that the entire world, the entire nation is behind us,” Roldan said. “I think that they enjoyed watching us play. and at the end of the day what we want to do is inspire and motivate the next generation. … We have to build off it, and that’s the truth. We can’t just talk about it: We have to show out against Australia.”.

That “build off it” plan is being tested by the reality of Pulisic’s absence. It also matters because Australia arrives with more than confidence—it brings a style the U.S. already knows can be uncomfortable.

In October, the U.S. earned a hard-fought 2-1 victory against a physical Australia side in a friendly that Pochettino said was anything but. Now, Pochettino is asking his team to respond to that kind of match without losing control.

“I think we need to play on the edge of the line,” Pochettino said, “with not crossing the lines of the rules.”

Australia’s approach is rooted in earning respect through pressure and performance. Center back Harry Souttar expects the U.S. to try to start fast, much as it did against Paraguay.

Coach Tony Popovic’s squad opened their tournament with a 2-0 victory over Turkey on Saturday. Popovic said that was only the first step.

“We want to earn our respect,” Popovic said. “We know that by our performances, we can put Australian football on the world map. And, that’s what we aim to do. We started off well against Turkey. Now, we want to back it up.”

The matchday challenge for both teams is clear in the facts they’ve already put on the table: the U.S. is riding a 4-1 opening win and a Seattle crowd they believe will push the group forward. while Australia is ready to test the U.S. the way it did in a physical friendly that Pochettino called “anything but” easy—only now the stakes are higher and the U.S.’s star is watching from the sidelines with a left calf injury.

World Cup United States Australia Seattle Lumen Field Christian Pulisic left calf injury Mauricio Pochettino Tony Popovic Cristian Roldan Harry Souttar