⚽ Pulisic’s Experience A Boon For USMNT

Christian Pulisic has handled the limelight and taken pressure off the young USMNT. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: Christian Pulisic carries a big load for the USMNT, but for this World Cup he knows this team has his back … What should the Bears plan be for Justin Fields if he is not at 100 percent? … and more! DOHA, Qatar — Christian Pulisic must have big, brass, er … shoulders to be able to carry all the expectation and attention headed his way between now and Saturday. No American soccer player attracts the level of scrutiny directed at Pulisic at regular times, due to his status and national team longevity, even at 24. It's magnified now, ahead of a World Cup round of 16 meeting with the Netherlands (10 a.m. ET on Saturday on FOX and the FOX Sports app), and after what most people assumed was a fierce clattering of his private parts in scoring the winning goal against Iran. "I didn't get hit in the balls," Pulisic explained helpfully, as he addressed the media Thursday for the first time since Tuesday's collision. All the talk is of Pulisic. All the questions, bar a couple, were directed at him at a news conference he attended alongside Tim Weah, before a training session the United States decided to close to the media. What we don't know is if a pelvic contusion means some temporary discomfort and business as usual, or limited playing time and his effectiveness against the Dutch in jeopardy. The boldest move he made Thursday was in turning up to face the press. He could have hidden away, with his participation in training seemingly in doubt. He could have skipped the session and left colleagues to answer questions about him, always an awkward scenario. He didn't do that. He came, said he's planning to play at Khalifa International Stadium, and told everyone what this team means to him. For the rest of the story, [click here.]( [STORY IMAGE 1] [IN OTHER WORDS] - Should the Bears [risk playing an injured Justin Fields]( against the Packers? Carmen Vitali examines the dilemma. - At 1-9-1, the Texans have been even [worse than what was expected](. So what does that mean for Lovie Smith? Ben Arthur has the latest. - Group E was supposed to be a stroll for Spain and Germany. It [turned out to be anything but]( writes Martin Rogers. - After winning the World Series, the Astros have no general manager and Justin Verlander is a free agent. So [what is their plan]( Jordan Shusterman breaks down the situation. - [CFP expansion will help grow the sport]( nationally while placing emphasis on conference rivalries and bringing parity to college football, Bryan Fischer writes. For the latest news and updates, [click here.]( [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Cameroon vs Brazil (FOX, 2 p.m. ET) Brazil takes on Cameroon looking to finish the group stage with its third straight victory heading into the Round of 16. No. 11 Utah Utes vs No. 4 USC Trojans (FOX, 8 p.m. ET) The USC Trojans face off against the Utah Utes in the Pac-12 Championship Game. United States vs Netherlands (Saturday, FOX, 10 a.m. ET) The USMNT takes the field against the Netherlands looking to advance past the Round of 16 in the World Cup for the first time since 2002. No. 10 Kansas State Wildcats vs No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs (Saturday, ABC, 12 p.m. ET) Sitting at 12-0, the Horned Frogs hope a Big 12 Championship over the Wildcats will vault them into the school's first College Football Playoff berth. Purdue Boilermakers vs No. 2 Michigan Wolverines (Saturday, FOX, 8 p.m. ET) Michigan battles Purdue hoping to stay unbeaten and earn its second consecutive Big Ten Championship Game victory. France vs Poland (Sunday, FOX, 10 a.m. ET) France clashes with Poland with France hoping to keep its dreams of a repeat World Cup title alive. Tennessee Titans at Philadelphia Eagles (Sunday, FOX, 1 p.m. ET) The Titans travel to Philadelphia looking to hand the Eagles their second loss of the season. Miami Dolphins at San Francisco 49ers (Sunday, FOX, 4:05 p.m. ET) The Dolphins head to the west coast to take on the NFC heavyweight 49ers in a battle of the NFL's elite. For all of today's games and scores, [click here](. [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Tennessee Titans at Philadelphia Eagles: Titans (+5.5) to lose by fewer than 5.5 points, or win outright From FOX Sports NFL Analyst: Geoff Schwartz While I don’t love how the Titans can’t score any points, the rest of this game matches up well for them. The Eagles rushing defense is ranked 24th in the league, and the Titans should be able to exploit this for some offensive success. The Titans need to run the ball well because the Eagles defense can stop the pass and will not be scared by Ryan Tannehill. Derrick Henry only rushed for 38 yards last weekend, and after a bad performance, we often see an explosion in his production the following week. Additionally, the coaching staff will challenge the Titans' offensive line will to improve on last week's poor performance. Since a Week 2 loss to the Bills, the Titans defense has not allowed more than 22 points in a game. That includes allowing 20 to both the Chiefs and Bengals, two of the better offenses in the NFL. The Titans' defense is tough, physical and attacking. They are first in rushing defense DVOA and their defense should feel good in this matchup against a run-heavy Eagles' offense. The Eagles have had issues recently when facing dominant rushing defenses, struggling to produce points against Washington and Indianapolis. Also, the Titans are 17-7 against the spread as an underdog of 3 or more points under Mike Vrabel. For the latest betting odds, [click here](. [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [Google Play]( [App Store]( [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [App Store]( [Google Play]( Also available on these devices: [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2022 Fox Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Please do not reply to this message. If you do not wish to receive emails like this in the future, please [unsubscribe](. FOX Sports respects your privacy. Click [here]( to view our Privacy Policy. Fox.com Business & Legal Affairs - Manager Digital Media P.O. Box 900 Beverly Hills, California 90213-0900