USMNT coach: Pulisic looks 'pretty good' to play

DOHA, Qatar -- United States men's nationalist squad manager Gregg Berhalter said that midfielder Christian Pulisic is looking "pretty good" to instrumentality portion successful Saturday's World Cup circular of 16 lucifer against the Netherlands, though helium volition request confirmation from Friday's grooming session.

Pulisic is suffering from a pelvic contusion helium sustained arsenic helium scored the lone extremity of the crippled successful the 1-0 defeat of Iran.

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The US midfielder finished the half, but yet had to beryllium substituted.

"We're gonna spot him connected the grooming tract today," said Berhalter astatine Friday's quality conference. "What I deliberation is, it looks beauteous good, but we'll person to spot him contiguous connected the transportation to get confirmation of that."

Pulisic told the assembled media connected Thursday helium would do "everything successful my power" to play, but successful an exclusive interrogation with ESPN's Sam Borden, helium hinted that helium wouldn't beryllium capable to spell the afloat 90 minutes.

"I'm going to bash everything successful power, with this unit and aesculapian team, to marque definite that nevertheless agelong I tin beryllium retired connected that field, I'll beryllium retired determination giving my 110 percent nary substance what," helium said.

"Because I beryllium it to this game, I beryllium it to this team, I beryllium it to the state backmost home. I'm going to bash everything I can."

Berhalter was little optimistic erstwhile it came to guardant Josh Sargent who was forced retired of the Iran crippled successful the 77th minute.

According to a US Soccer Federation spokesperson is suffering from "right ankle soreness."

"He's different 1 we're going to trial successful training," Berhalter said astir Sargent. "Let's spot wherever he's at. I deliberation with Christian, we're hopeful. I deliberation with [Sargent], a small little so.

"But we volition see. I mean, he's going to test, he's gonna goat this time. At this signifier it's spell time. If you can, if you tin propulsion done it, you do. So I'm definite he'll person that mindset."

Berhalter was besides asked astir the relation of Giovanni Reyna, who has lone been connected the tract for 11 minutes during the tournament.

"If you look astatine however the games person unfolded, we've had the pb and person to clasp onto the lead, aboriginal successful games," helium said.

"The lone crippled that we didn't person that scenario, we really enactment him successful to assistance get the victory. So it's conscionable however we tin usage him successful the astir effectual way.

"[He's a] truly talented player, and we're looking for the close moment, but helium tin nary uncertainty assistance this team."

The lucifer represents an accidental for this US squad to denote itself arsenic a rising unit successful the planetary game. It's an juncture that isn't mislaid connected US midfielder Tyler Adams.

"It's really, truly chill to spot however overmuch a tourney tin alteration the position connected radical supporting soccer," helium said.

"And I deliberation that was 1 of our goals coming into the tournament; the farther we go, the much enactment that we gather, and that's what we want.

"We privation the adjacent procreation and generations to travel to person that enactment down them. So erstwhile we tin play an charismatic style, and combat and correspond the state successful the close way, you're going to stitchery that support."

In the months starring up to the tournament, Berhalter said the US coaching unit studied the teams successful Group A, which included the Netherlands, successful anticipation of reaching the knockout rounds.

And since the tourney began, helium said the US has had aggregate scouts astatine the Dutch games and was presented with a afloat scouting study connected their squad aft beating Iran.

Berhalter added that the US practiced punishment kicks connected Thursday and would bash truthful again connected Friday successful a bid to hole for anticipation of a shootout deciding the match.

Prior to the World Cup, Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal said helium had not studied the US team, but aft watching the squad play against Wales to statesman the tournament, helium pegged it to beforehand to the knockout stage.

"USA has demonstrated that it has an fantabulous team," said Van Gaal, speaking successful Dutch and translated done a FIFA interpreter. "I would adjacent accidental 1 of the champion teams. A squad that is fine-tuned and it's gonna beryllium a precise pugnacious match.

"But it's thing we can't overcome. I mean we besides person a bully team. We'll person to hold and spot successful this lucifer which of the 2 squads is the best."

Over the people of his 30-minute quality conference, Van Gaal chided the scrutiny helium and his squad has received domestically during the tourney and laughed erstwhile informed Berhalter has received akin feedback successful the United States.

"What I observe is simply a imaginativeness [from Berhalter]," Van Gaal said. "That I spot is simply a squad that is keen to execute that vision, which is of the utmost importance. And I spot the conviction, particularly the condemnation of the players. So that for a manager indispensable beryllium fantastic."

Van Gaal besides acknowledged taht the Dutch nationalist squad is struggling with a fig of weakened players successful the radical the time earlier the match.

According to Van Gaal, respective internationals person "flu symptoms", presumably caused by the aerial conditioning. "But if it goes astir successful the group, it is worrying."

He declined to accidental however galore players are involved. "But not fifteen."

Van Gaal besides complimented the improvement of shot successful the United States.

"Well, it's typically American, I would say, that they germinate rapidly and they person galore players successful European apical clubs," Van Gaal said.

"So, it goes without saying that they would execute and execute these results.

"It's a process and possibly [fans successful the] USA hadn't expected that from this squad, but I deliberation if you ticker them, it's crystal wide that they had opportunities and that's what they've shown us. I don't deliberation it's a astonishment to beryllium rather frank."