Reece James has taken to Instagram to drop a message of support to Chelsea teammate Christian Pulisic after USA qualified for the knockout stages of the World Cup.
The 24-year-old put his country on his back when they needed it most last night in the highly-anticipated final group match against Iran.
Pulisic scored the only goal of the game in the first half, risking injury in the process in order to force the ball over the line.
After impressing against England, it would have been a real letdown if USA hadn’t qualified for the last 16 of the tournament.
Nevertheless, the scenes after the game showed exactly what it means to an up and coming football nation, with Pulisic the poster boy for the whole thing.
He was obviously delighted with the outcome, taking to Instagram to suggest how much it meant to him and his teammates.
Pulisic impresses James
James was clearly impressed by the performance too, commenting: ‘Captain America’ to congratulate his close friend.
The 22-year-old England man is being forced to watch this tournament from home after suffering an injury against AC Milan at the San Siro.
Despite believing he would be back fit at this stage of the tournament, Gareth Southgate decided he couldn’t take the risk on both him and a struggling Kyle Walker.
As for Pulisic, he will be hoping he is fit for the weekend’s round of 16 match against Netherlands, where they will undoubtedly be going in full of confidence after not losing in the group stages.
His fitness will be crucial to his side, with most attacks the nation run going through the Chelsea man.
A continuation of strong displays will only boost his confidence even more before his return to Stamford Bridge after the tournament concludes.
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