Christian Pulisic sacrifices groin for country in heartstopping USMNT win
Christian #Christian
American forward Christian Pulisic was clearly willing to put his body on the line to get the Stars and Stripes to the knockout stages of the World Cup.
The 24-year-old scored the lone goal in the United States’ 1-0 win against Iran on Monday to finish second in the group and advance to the round of 16 in Qatar. While the goal was worthy of jubilation, much of the focus turned towards Pulisic’s groin because of the hit he took after the goal.
After slotting the headed ball from Sergiño Dest into the back of the net in the 38th minute, Pulisic collided with Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand. The keeper’s knee slammed into Pulisic below the belt, leaving the forward down on the ground for a good bit of time, even as his teammates and team’s supporters celebrated around him.
Pulisic had to be helped off of the pitch, receiving assistance to travel the brief distance from inside the goal to out of bounds just a few feet away. He also needed help walking back toward the bench area of the United States. Pulisic remained in the game through the end of the first half, but was unable to continue and was subbed off at halftime with what the team officially termed an “abdomen” injury.
Iran had its opportunities to sneak away with a draw, which would have eliminated the Americans. The United States spent much of the second half on its back foot, with Iran getting several strong chances in the final moments.
This was a must-win game for the United States as they needed all three points from the victory to move on to the knockout stage — Iran, by contrast, needed only a draw to advance. With the win, the USMNT finished second in their group behind England and will play the Netherlands in the round of 16 on Saturday, Dec. 3.