USMNT boss Pochettino blames Pulisic, Tillman injuries on Denver climate

Tom Weber

• 15 Oct 2025 13:03 CDT
• 3 min read

News

United States Men's National Team coach Mauricio Pochettino believes that the climate in Denver played its part in Christian Pulisic and Malik Tillman suffering injuries.

The US hosted Australia in an international friendly match in Commerce City, Colorado, on Tuesday, running out 2-1 winners thanks to a Haji Wright brace, with both goals set up by Cristian Roldan.

The first half of the clash with the Socceroos was overshadowed by captain Christian Pulisic having to be substituted early on due to a hamstring problem. It was a second injury blow for head coach Mauricio Pochettino as Malik Tillman also "felt something" in his hamstring before the game.

Speaking after the match, the Argentine pointed out that the players struggled to cope with the significant climatic difference in Denver after playing in the heat of Austin, Texas, on Friday.

“It’s not a criticism, but when you have days in training in Austin where it’s [85-95°F, 29-35°C] then you come to Denver with the altitude and it’s really, really cold - it’s a massive risk,” Pochettino said.

Are muscle injuries linked to temperature changes?

Pochettino was not willing to pin all the blame for the injuries on the temperatures, but he urged more caution when scheduling games in the future.

“I don’t want to say this is why Christian or Malik felt something, but it’s tough on the players," he emphasised. "We’re really sad about this situation because it’s difficult. It’s something we need to fix in the future.”

Whether there really is a link between temperature changes and muscle injuries seems to be a subject of debate. It is a commonly held belief that warmer temperatures - but not extreme heat - can help reduce the risk of hamstring problems.

On the flip side, some research has shown that there may be a direct correlation between lower temperatures and muscle injuries. A Japanese study on track and field athletes showed a higher incidence of hamstring injuries during colder months.

A previous study in the NFL yielded no results to support this hypothesis, however. There are so many other factors at play, it is difficult to ascertain a straightforward link, and more in-depth research appears to be required.

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