USA loses to Turkey in World Cup
The USA ended their World Cup group stage with a 3-2 defeat to Turkey, conceding a last-minute winner to substitute Kaan Ayhan after a goalmouth scramble.
Despite a disjointed performance with a largely rotated squad, their earlier wins over Paraguay and Australia had already secured qualification, with a round-of-32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina confirmed before kickoff.
They will continue to rely on Christian Pulisic moving forward, after he came off the bench just before the hour mark and showed his usual pace and attacking quality.
Even though the USA was coping without him earlier in the group stage, his return highlighted how much stronger and more dangerous their attack is when he is available. He also appeared fully fit, showing no clear signs of the calf injury that had previously disrupted his tournament involvement.
Pulisic made a strong impact after coming on, showing his pace and attacking threat by creating several dangerous chances, including hitting the post and forcing a sharp save from the Turkish goalkeeper.
Although the USA lost 3-2 to Turkey, they still played with intent to win, with coach Mauricio Pochettino emphasizing the importance of maintaining momentum and aiming for a perfect group stage record.
The USA made a strong start when Auston Trusty scored early from a Sebastian Berhalter corner, sparking a big home crowd celebration.
However, Turkey quickly responded and took control of the match. Arda Güler equalized in the 10th minute, before Orkun Kökçü put Turkey ahead after a cross from Eren Elmali, exposing weaknesses in the US defense.
The USA rotated heavily, resting key players like Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Folarin Balogun, Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, and Antonee Robinson to manage fatigue and avoid suspensions.
After Turkey’s early control, the USA responded in the second half with a strong goal from Sebastian Berhalter and improved possession, but they could not find a winner.
Turkey ultimately snatched victory with a late goal just before the final whistle, sending the USA into the knockout stage after their group campaign ended.
