NPR Removes Mention of Christian Pulisic's Injury from World Cup Article

NPR has made significant changes to its article on the US men's national soccer team's 2-0 lead over Australia in the World Cup. The most notable change is the removal of the statement that Christian Pulisic, a key player, 'will not play for the U.S.' This change suggests that Pulisic's status has been updated, and he is now available for the match. The edit also adds a detailed description of the goals scored by the US team, including a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute and a 2-0 lead in the 43rd minute. This change provides more context and information for readers about the progress of the game. The updates give readers a clearer understanding of the current state of the match and the performance of the US team.

Related Changes

The U.S. may face Australia in the World Cup without star Christian Pulisic +190 -91
Special Series Soccer Edition Follow the World Cup in the NPR App Find Your Station Sign up for Up First for Soccer Edition on Tuesdays The 2026 FIFA World Cup is from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Sixteen host cities across North America, including Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Seattle, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, Kansas City, Miami, and New York/New Jersey in the United States. The NPR Network will have coverage from across the country leading up to and during the championship.
− Christian Pulisic will not play for the U.S.
+ U.S.
− in key World Cup game against Australia Updated June 19, 20261:56 PM ET Originally published June 19, 20265:00 AM ET By Becky Sullivan , Russell Lewis Players of the United States celebrate during their opening World Cup match, a 4-1 victory over Paraguay.
+ leads 2-0 over Australia in key World Cup game as star Christian Pulisic sits Updated June 19, 20261:56 PM ET Originally published June 19, 20265:00 AM ET By Becky Sullivan , Russell Lewis Alex Freeman #16 of the United States heads to score the team's second goal during the first half of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Australia in Seattle on Friday.
− The U.S.
+ Emilee Chinn/Getty Images hide caption Editor's Note: The U.S.
− has an important match Friday against Australia.
+ strikes first!
− Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images hide caption SEATTLE — The star of the United States men's national team, Christian Pulisic, will not play in the team's important World Cup game Friday against Australia.
+ In the 11th minute, forward Folarin Balogun drove the ball hard up the left sideline and toward the goal, and his pass inside was knocked into the goal by Australian defender Cameron Burgess. The Americans lead 1-0.
+ A goal from Alex Freeman in the 43rd minute makes it 2-0 for the U.S.! A tussle over the ball near the corner set up a free kick for the Americans. Freeman was in place to knock in the rebound off a shot by Sergiño Dest. ———————- SEATTLE — The star of the United States men's national team, Christian Pulisic, will not play in the team's important World Cup game Friday against Australia.
Soccer Edition Your cheat sheet to the 26 players on the U.S. World Cup team About 90 minutes before kickoff, head coach Mauricio Pochettino told Fox that Pulisic is unavailable due to a nagging left calf injury suffered in the team's opening match against Paraguay. "It is hoped, as soon as possible, [he] can be ready to be selected again to be part of the team," Pochettino said. The group stage game against Australia, set for 3 p.m. Eastern time at Lumen Field in Seattle, will be pivotal in determining the U.S.'s knockout-stage seeding. Both the U.S. and Australia won their openers — the U.S. over Paraguay 4-1 and Australia over Turkey 2-0 — meaning the winner of Friday's game between the two teams will be in the driver's seat to win the group. In Pulisic's absence, forward Ricardo Pepi will start Friday. Pepi has appeared in four matches for the U.S. in 2026 and logged two assists, one against Belgium in March and the second against Senegal in May. Craig O'Donoghue and his son (right) catch a Seattle Mariners game while in town for the FIFA men's World Cup on Thursday, June 18, 2026. KUOW Photo/ Casey Martin hide caption Craig O'Donoghue and his son (right) catch a Seattle Mariners game while in town for the FIFA men's World Cup on Thursday, June 18, 2026. KUOW Photo/ Casey Martin hide caption Pulisic's absence on the left side could spell trouble for the Americans. He was key in creating two of the Americans' three first-half goals against Paraguay. Then, after being kicked in the leg by a Paraguayan player, he exited last Friday's game at halftime. The difference in the U.S. performance between the first and second half, after Pulisic was replaced, was noticeable. Paraguay scored its only goal after halftime. "Christian is a really important player for us. He can be really dangerous on the wing side," said teammate and midfielder Sergiño Dest. Pulisic had been training individually all week long. On Thursday, Pochettino said Pulisic had been improving and was making a "massive effort trying to be ready" to play against Australia. Christian Pulisic (L) practices on his own, away from other U.S. players, during a training session for the 2026 World Cup at the team's training facility in Irvine, Calif. on Wednesday. Jamie Squire/Getty Images hide caption The third and final U.S. group stage game, in which the Americans will face Turkey, is scheduled for next Thursday, June 25. Australia comes into Friday's game tied in the Group D standings with the U.S. after their 2-0 win over Turkey last week. Turkey, whose roster features stars like Arda Güler of Real Madrid and Kenan Yıldız of Juventus, had been considered by some analysts to be the strongest team in the group. Soccer Edition FAQ: How World Cup fans and workers can stay safe in the heat The last time the U.S. faced Australia was in an international friendly match in October 2025. It was a chippy, foul-filled game that the Americans won 2-1. Pulisic left that game with an injury to his right leg after being tripped by Australian defender Jason Geria. "They're a very physical team. They have guys in the back. I think crosses in the box will be very hard to get past them, and they have speed up top for counterattacks," said midfielder Weston McKennie on Thursday. "It's going to be a battle, I know that for sure, and a rough one as well." Due to an editing error, a previous version of this story said Güler and Yıldız played for Australia. In fact, they play for Turkey Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor