From The Sports Desk: The U.S. lost, but also saw return of star Christian Pulisic

World CupFrom The Sports Desk: The U.S. lost, but also saw return of star Christian PulisicThe Americans may have lost their final group stage. But Pulisic, who had been nursing a calf injury, returned to action. He’s back just in time for the start of the knockout round.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00U.S. forward Christian Pulisic during last night's match against Turkey.Kelvin Kuo / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 26, 2026, 11:06 AM EDTBy Mark HodgeThe United States lost last night, 3-2, on a late goal by Turkey. But the biggest development? Star Christian Pulisic returned from injury and showed he was healthy in time for the knockout stage. The U.S. will take on Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.In action today, Norway’s goal-scoring giant Erling Haaland locks his Viking horns with France’s lighting-fast Kylian Mbappé, who is hunting down the World Cup scoring record.There’s another slew of big group stage games today, so come follow our NBC News live blog.World Cup RecapThe U.S. rested nine regular starters in its narrow 3-2 loss to Turkey, because the U.S. had already won its group. The game was decided by a scrappy goal in the final minute of stoppage time.Coach Mauricio Pochettino was afforded the luxury of giving seven players their first minutes of the tournament.“He didn’t have to change nine to 10 guys, but he does because he believes in us, and that’s what you want as a coach,” midfielder Brenden Aaronson said.Sebastian Berhalter, left, and Auston Trusty of the U.S. react after their loss to Turkey.Ringo Chiu / Sipa USA via APNow the team enters the do-or-die knockouts on July 1 in Santa Clara, California. The Bosnians finished third in Group B, behind Canada and Switzerland. At least the U.S. will have Pulisic back. He played against Turkey, returning to action for the first time since...