Christian Pulisic reminded everyone as to why he is nicknamed ‘Captain America’ on Tuesday after he scored the all-important goal which secured the USMNT a place in the last-16 of the World Cup.
Much was on the line for both sides, the USA required a win in order to progress while their opponents needed to avoid defeat. If that wasn't enough to ramp up the pressure, the underlying story was the political unrest in the build-up of the match, with a social media post from the US leading to calls for them to be kicked out of the competition.
It unsurprisingly led to an intense contest as a game of cat and mouse played out between two sides who had everything to play for, however, Pulisic scored what would prove to be the only goal of the contest after latching onto Sergino Dest’s cross in the 38th minute.
READ MORE: 'Instant legend' - Chelsea fans back Christian Pulisic after what he did in USA vs Iran game
While the US players - and fans - went wild as the ball hit the back of the net, concern soon followed as Pulisic went to ground inside the goal mouth after getting injured in the process of scoring.
The 24-year-old stayed down as he received treatment but was unable to continue in the second half. Pulisic was then taken to hospital with what was described as an ‘abdominal injury’, although the USMNT has since confirmed that he has been diagnosed with a pelvic contusion and that his status is ‘day-to-day’.
A pelvic contusion is basically bruising in the pelvic region and tends to heal pretty quickly with the right treatment and care. Whilst there will still be concern over his fitness, Pulisic has offered some reassurance ahead of the USA’s game against the Netherlands on Saturday.
The Chelsea forward sent out a message from his hospital bed following the win over Iran accompanied by a picture via Area Sports Network that read: “So f****** proud of my guys, I'll be ready Saturday don't worry.”
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