Should Christian Pulisic get some ‘game’ minutes against Türkiye?Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros of The Cooligans examine whether the United States should give Christian Pulisic minutes before the knockout rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Check out the full conversation on the “The Cooligans” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen.2:15Now PlayingPaused
Should USMNT sit Christian Pulisic against Australia?2:30Now PlayingPaused
Does Christian Pulisic's latest injury give the USMNT World Cup worries?2:18Now PlayingPaused
How Christian Pulisic’s hot first half set the tone for USMNT1:49Now PlayingPaused
Christian Pulisic’s goal, assist stand out as USMNT top Senegal 3-21:49Now PlayingPaused
Who are the best possible replacements for Christian Pulisic?3:00Now PlayingPaused
Why Christian Pulisic's breakout could turn around USMNT's World Cup hopes2:34Now PlayingPaused
Christian Pulisic on handling World Cup pressure: 'This is exactly where I want to be'2:54Now PlayingPaused
Should USMNT sit Christian Pulisic, 4 players with yellow cards vs. Türkiye?1:33Now PlayingPaused
Christian Pulisic downplays injury after early exit in opening World Cup game2:33Now PlayingPaused

Should Christian Pulisic get some ‘game’ minutes against Türkiye?

Christian Polanco·Alexis GuerrerosWed, June 24, 2026 at 6:54 PM UTC

Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros of The Cooligans examine whether the United States should give Christian Pulisic minutes before the knockout rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Check out the full conversation on the “The Cooligans” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen.

AdvertisementAdvertisement

Video Transcript

Is, but what about, Christian Pulisic?

Do you, he- No he's, he's only played- No 45 minutes- I'm answering your question, no at the World Cup.

Do you- Put in the comments how bad you don't want Christian Pulisic- to get a run out here.

Even just a, a 15-minute- If, okay, here's the only way, is if the, the medical team decides that there would be some benefit to him getting a run out for 20 minutes at the end of this match to test to see how his calf is handling it.

Mm-hmm.

But I also feel like you might be able to do that in training, so why chance it?

Give him the extra break.

He is gonna be so much more essential for our run in the knockout rounds if we're gonna have a long one, that I don't need any opportunity to chance it.

AdvertisementAdvertisement

Now, he might be wanting to play, and if you asked him, he'd say, "Let me play all 90."

But what does the medical team think?

What does Misha Vlasic- Okay kind of think?

For me, there's no reason to start this man.

You're having a great tournament, everybody knows it, everybody hears it.

There's friendly clubs coming out and- He's having a great tournament and he's only played 45 minutes.

For those 45 minutes he had a great, he had a great first half.

So far, like, there's no What I mean is there's no negative views right now.

No, no, I get it.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, I get that.

It's just- Everything's good.

Why mess this up?

AdvertisementAdvertisement

I- yeah.

I m- I mean, you know, I'm a little worried about, um- That would be like taking away our Smirnoff Ice, and that is just- a bad idea.

Okay.

It's right here and it tastes so good.

How dare you do that?

no, I, I, I'm leaning more towards not playing him, but part of me does think, like, I, you know, just to see, like, kind of t- to test, but also to not be too rusty.

Training is cool and all, but it's not the same as actual, in game minutes.

Yeah.

You know how, like, sometimes when a player comes back from a long injury, not that this is, but sometimes when they come back, as an example, you see them play a few minutes with the reserves.

AdvertisementAdvertisement

They get 30, they get 60, then they get 70 or whatever.

Sure, sure.

Maybe there's something to be said about sort of escalating the amount of in-game minutes he's getting, and maybe you could use this as a test.

Maybe you bring him in for the first 30, maybe the first 45.

Maybe you bring him in for the second 30.

Yeah.

I don't know.

What I'm try- simply trying to say is if we can, and if it doesn't I mean, he's played long enough now where I don't think he needs to sort of get in game mode.

He's had an entire club season as well.