World Cup: What you need to know about USA vs Australia

OAKLAND, Calif. - The U.S. Men’s National Team is facing a critical injury question ahead of its highly anticipated World Cup match-up against Australia Friday. 

USMNT Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino announced Thursday that star attacking midfielder Christian Pulisic is day-to-day and remains a game-time decision.

Pulisic, who is recovering from a left calf injury sustained during the Americans' opening match against Paraguay, has been participating in modified training sessions separate from the rest of the team all week.

Pulisic’s Status Up in the Air

The loss of the USMNT’s attacking threat would be a massive blow to the lineup. 

While Pochettino and team officials initially expressed strong confidence earlier in the week that Pulisic would be ready for Friday, Pochettino struck a more cautious, evaluating tone during Thursday’s final pre-match press conference.

"Tomorrow we will communicate," Pochettino said. "He is evolving, he is much better from Friday. We’ll see. If he is not available tomorrow, he will be for the next game. He is doing a massive effort trying to be ready."

If Pulisic can't go tomorrow, the U.S. coaching staff will have to reconfigure its attacking line, likely turning to Sebastian Berhalter or Gio Reyna to fill the void on the left wing. 

Reyna may be the likely choice, after scoring an injury time goal in USA's 4-1 win over Paraguay. 

Pochettino may consider moving forward with Reyna's momentum, and confidence, as the Stars and Stripes take on the Socceroos.

Bracing for a Physical Battle

Whether Pulisic plays or not, the USMNT expects an incredibly physical test from Australia. 

They enter the match with momentum following a decisive 2-0 victory over Türkiye in their tournament opener.

To counter Australia's robust style of play, the U.S. will need to establish defensive stability in transition and avoid getting drawn into a disjointed, chippy match.

Team leaders emphasize that a fast, aggressive start will be crucial to neutralizing Australia’s physical edge and silencing their traveling support.

With that, team USA needs to avoid suspensions. At-risk, is midfielder Tyler Adams, who picked up a yellow card in the 59th minute of the opening match. 

According to yellow card accumulation rules, if Adams picks up a consecutive yellow card in the team's second match, he would then be suspended for the third match against Turkiye. 

He would, however, be allowed to finish the remainder of the match against Australia.

Confidence High in the U.S. Camp

Despite the uncertainty surrounding their star playmaker, optimism remains high within the American locker room following a strong tournament debut against Paraguay. 

The squad believes the home-field energy in Seattle will help push them through the physical demands of the match.

Seattle is home to the Sounders, known to have one of the largest and most loyal fan bases in Major Leage Soccer.

"We play with a lot of confidence," U.S. defender Sergiño Dest said. "I feel like we did it from the start. Everybody is hungry, everybody is motivated... That's why we can't wait to play the game tomorrow and hopefully win as well, because you feel it — everybody starts believing in us and we get more support."

Game of Goalkeepers

Patrick Beach, the young Australian goalkeeper who got the first game start over captain Matt Ryan, showed why he belonged on the pitch.

With eight saves against Turkiye, including a fiery volley that grazed his fingertips and pushed the ball onto the post, Ryan helped keep a clean sheet and give the Aussies a 2-0 victory.

USMNT goalkeeper Matt Freese hardly had the same challenge. 

Two shots on goal, one goal allowed and zero saves for the U.S. goalkeeper, Freese is likely to face a much more aggressive offense and will need to show up big to help the U.S. win.

The high-stakes Group Stage match kicks off live from Seattle on Friday at 12:00 p.m. PDT, with full local coverage on KTVU FOX 2.

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