Mauricio Pochettino keeps Christian Pulisic’s status a mystery ahead of USMNT-Australia

SEATTLE — There was no surprise news about Christian Pulisic from U.S. men’s soccer team manager Mauricio Pochettino in his news conference before Friday’s game against Australia (3 p.m., Fox29, Telemundo 62). Pochettino did not rule the star playmaker in or out, and that was not surprising.

“As you know, he was training in an individual way the whole week,” Pochettino said. “But like always, I think tonight, the day before the game, we have a meeting with our medical area, and we will assess the whole group, the players, and tomorrow we will communicate all the things that we can agree tonight.”

Pulisic was seen briefly at the start of Thursday’s practice, then headed off to work on his own. When he arrived, he wasn’t wearing the sleeve over his injured left calf that he sported on Wednesday. But after a few minutes, he sat down on a bench by the sideline and put it on.

“He is evolving, he is much better from [last] Friday,” Pochettino said. “I think at the moment we’ll see. … He’s doing a massive effort trying to be ready.”

The manager also praised Pulisic for being “strong and with a great mentality” as the Hershey native works to be ready for kickoff.

Asked who might play if Pulisic can’t go, Pochettino didn’t answer. This was no surprise either.

» READ MORE: Christian Pulisic’s calf injury is the USMNT’s biggest story at the World Cup. Here’s what to know.

“I will tell tomorrow if that is the situation,” he said. “At the moment, we are evaluating all the possibilities just in case, and then we will decide when we have the confirmation in one or another direction tonight.”

What is no secret is that when these teams met in a friendly in suburban Denver in October, it was far from friendly on the field. Australia played a physical game, with a focus on Pulisic that forced him off the field injured in the 31st minute.

All of the U.S. players are ready for round two, and so is the manager.

“I think we need to play on the edge of the line, not crossing the lines of the rules,” Pochettino said. “I think we are going to try, all, to be very close to this thin line. That allows us to take some advantage [with] the rules.”

» READ MORE: An all-time World Cup home field advantage awaits the USMNT in soccer-crazed Seattle

Later in the day, Australia manager Tony Popovic was asked if he expects this game to be similar to the last. He didn’t answer directly.

“Since then we feel we’ve improved,” he said. “We’re a better team now than what we were in October and I’m sure the U.S. is as well.”

Popovic also was asked if he expects Pulisic to play.

“I’m sure he’ll play if he’s fit — he’s one of their best players, an outstanding footballer,” Popovic said. “We expect Christian to definitely play if he’s available, and if he’s not, we’ve looked at some of the players that have played when he hasn’t been there.”

» READ MORE: Australia is up next in the USMNT’s World Cup run. Here’s how we think this one will shake out.

Pochettino grew up in Argentina, played 20 times for his country (including at the 2002 World Cup), and like many Argentines is fiercely proud of his roots. So of course he was thrilled to see the Albiceleste start its World Cup campaign by routing Algeria, 3-0, with a hat trick from Lionel Messi — whom Pochettino coached at Paris Saint-Germain in the 2021-22 season.

“I am Argentino, and I really enjoyed the performance,” Pochettino said, quickly adding “but I’m going to give my life for the USA.”

He didn’t have to worry about offending anyone this time.

“I think it’s difficult to describe Messi,” Pochettino said. “Six World Cups, all that he achieved in his career in different clubs [in] collective and individual ways — woof. Is he the best? For sure, yes.”

» READ MORE: The USMNT-Paraguay game was the most-watched soccer broadcast in U.S. history

(Not that he was ever going to answer with Brazil’s Pelé, Argentina’s foil for decades; or Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi’s modern foil.)

“Argentina is an amazing team,” Pochettino said of the reigning champions, noting his friendship with their manager Lionel Scaloni and some of his staff. “Lionel is, for me, the best coach today in this World Cup. … The fans — amazing.”

He paused there to make a gesture showing the importance of Argentina’s legendary fan base, that has filled stadiums to the brim for decades. Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium was the latest to see the show, as a full house roared into the night.

“And then the cherry [on top]? Messi,” Pochettino concluded.

» READ MORE: A USMNT history lesson is a reminder: The win over Paraguay was big, but it was only one game

This isn’t Pochettino’s first trip to Seattle. In 2014, his first game with England’s Tottenham Hotspur was a friendly against the Sounders at the same stadium he’ll work Friday.

“I saw the ambience and the atmosphere and the people, and I hear that they are very passionate people here,” he said. “I’m looking forward [to] tomorrow, to share all together a great night, I hope with a good result and good performance.”

At one point during Thursday’s practice, Pochettino walked to end of the field, then up a hill behind the net, took out his phone, and recorded a little video. What was that about?

He joked in the news conference that it was “to see how everything looks without me,” mocking Argentines’ reputations for big egos. He also joked that he was watching for spies, though that line fell a little flat in a sport where spying actually happens.

» READ MORE: Australia's win over Turkey sharpens the USMNT's focus

As it turned out, he was just taking a video for himself, with a view in front of him of Lake Washington and the facilities on a classically big-time American college campus. Though the U.S. team was only there for a short time, Pochettino appreciated the setting.

“It was amazing, beautiful facilities,” he said. “We know that they were working for months, only for us to spend maybe an hour and a half, two hours. … Thank you to the people that made it possible to have, in perfect condition, the field and all the facilities.”

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