Christian Pulisic ready for World Cup USMNT return after calf issue: 'I've been working every single day'
IRVINE, Calif. – U.S. men's national team star Christian Pulisic said he expects to be available for Thursday's group stage finale against Turkiye on Thursday, returning to fitness shortly before the World Cup knockout stages begin.
Pulisic came off at halftime of the USMNT's 4-1 win over Paraguay on June 12 with a short-term issue in his left calf, one that started with a knock he picked up in the days building up to the game and then was aggravated when he received a kick to the same place during the first half. He then missed out on a week's worth of training and ultimately did not play in Friday's 2-0 win over Australia.
He did resume training with his teammates on Monday, though, and declared himself ready to go for their final matchup in Group D.
"I'm feeling good," Pulisic said Wednesday. "I joined the team the last couple days and I'm hoping to play a part in tomorrow, for sure."
He does not expect to play the full match, both through the regular routines players usually undergo after dealing with an injury, but also because the stakes are definitely different on Thursday. The USMNT have already topped the group and Turkiye have already been mathematically eliminated, the meeting at SoFi Stadium essentially a dead rubber game.
"I'll discuss that with my coaches and the medical staff," he said about a potential minutes restriction. "Obviously, not a good chance I'll probably go and play 90 right away, normally, after you come back and miss a game, but we'll see."
The injury was originally described as precautionary, and the USMNT never feared for the worst, even as Pulisic missed several training sessions.
"I felt pretty confident," he said. "Honestly, I never feared anything worse. I was pushing, and I was really close to trying to be available for the last game, for sure, but I obviously did feel a little something, but I definitely was able to push through in the first half with the adrenaline [to] just get me through, but it wasn't quite ready but it wasn't anything where I feared anything worse than really what it was."
It helped that he was in modified training sessions rather than skipping practice altogether.
"I haven't been off," Pulisic said. "I've been working every single day, a lot. I don't think that's enough time to lose sharpness. I've been touching the ball every day and whatnot. I'm working a lot, so get a couple training sessions in, I'll feel ready."
The time away from the pitch, though, offered him a unique vantage point for the USMNT's win over Australia, the vibes feeling like they were at an all-time high as the team battled past a physical opponent without their most recognizable player.
"It's not surprising to me," he said of the performance on Friday. "I see what the team can do. We have depth. We have really strong players in a lot of positions. I don't need to do everything. It's such a strong team, so like these guys, everyone has the challenge back. That's what's so fun about it, and just to see the team performance that we put in, especially how we've started the game, it's been fun to watch."
Pulisic's minutes will likely be only one of several considerations head coach Mauricio Pochettino will make before locking in his team selections on Thursday. Considering the relatively low stakes, Pochettino could rotate out players through fitness or with yellow cards in mind – Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson each picked one up in the first two games and another against Turkiye would mean they would be suspended for the U.S. team's round of 32 game on July 1. A rotated team seems likely on Thursday but one that will still be expected to notch a third win in three at the World Cup.
Pochettino should have most of his team available to him, though midfielder Cristian Roldan did miss a third straight day of training with a muscle strain that is still being described as day-to-day.
"I think everyone in this team is ready to step up so I feel like it would just be a normal thing for us," Pulisic said about the prospect of other players earning their first minutes at this World Cup. "We're going to support and push everyone the same way, whoever gets the opportunity tomorrow to play, whatever the decisions may be. Everyone's going to be ready and it just shows how much more depth and what a strong team that we have."
Pulisic's return could not come at a better time, though, the job of making a deep run on home soil no longer a task for the future.
"Honestly, I just always believed that anything's possible," he said. "I don't feel like we necessarily need some miracle to go far in a World Cup. I think we have a really good team. I think we can do it. Things have to go your way and just like [it does] for everyone. I just always feel like believing is better than not."
Add CBS Sports on GoogleBadenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
