The USMNT dressing room has rallied around their striker, with Christian Pulisic leading the support. Speaking after the game, Pulisic was clear about his feelings on the decision. “Just so unfortunate, honestly. Looking back at it, it seems so harsh for us to get that for him,” the AC Milan forward said. “I just told him that he’s done so much for us, and now we got his back. I don’t know the rules, but of course, just watching it now, it’s so disappointing. I understand it’s a dangerous act in a way, but he’s just trying to put his foot on the ground, and it wasn’t high on his leg. it’s just so unfortunate.”
Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie was equally frustrated by the officiating. “I mean, I think that’s a bit… in this stage of the tournament, where every player is important, I think it’s a bit bogus,” McKennie stated. “At the end of the day, my job is to go out there and try and get points and try to win games, and whether we’re a man down or we’re missing a guy for the next game, the next guy will step up and contribute what they can to the team to make it happen.”
