Pulisic Limps Off at Halftime — Is America’s World Cup Dream Already in Danger?

The crowd at Los Angeles Stadium had barely finished celebrating when the panic set in.

The USA had just torn Paraguay apart 4-1 in one of the most electric World Cup openers in recent memory. Flags were waving. Fans were singing. The American football dream — the one everyone in this country has been building toward for years — felt gloriously, breathlessly real.

And then Christian Pulisic didn’t come out for the second half.

The man who was supposed to lead this golden generation into history — the player some dare call America’s greatest ever — walked down the tunnel at halftime, and nobody quite knew why. The stadium fell quiet in a way no scoreline could explain.

“We’re hoping it’s nothing,” said coach Mauricio Pochettino, choosing words that did absolutely nothing to calm anyone’s nerves.

It had started so perfectly. The USA roared out of the blocks, an own goal from Paraguayan midfielder Damian Bobadilla arriving as early as the sixth minute — a gift that the partisan LA crowd took as a sign from the football gods themselves. Paraguay tried to fight back, showing early spirit, but the USA were simply too hungry, too sharp, too ready for this moment.

By the time the half-time whistle blew, it was already a statement. But when Pulisic didn’t reappear, the statement became complicated.

Pochettino has confirmed the 27-year-old is being assessed ahead of the USA’s next group game against Australia on June 19. Six days. Six days to find out whether the heart of this American team is still beating at full strength.

The tournament is three days old and already it has delivered its first genuine crisis storyline. This is the World Cup. It never lets you rest.

What happens next: USA face Australia on June 19 in Seattle. If Pulisic misses that game, expect this story to dominate every front page in North America. Watch this space.