INGLEWOOD, Calif. — As the final whistle blew at SoFi Stadium, it was difficult to know what to make of the United States men’s national team’s 3-2 defeat to Türkiye. Should it be frustrated at conceding a late winner? Or should it take some solace in a performance that saw some of the team’s less experienced players grow in the game?
There will likely be a little bit of both. At times in the first half, the U.S. looked overwhelmed by Türkiye’s technical proficiency. But the Americans responded with a gutsy second-half performance that appeared to have them headed to a 2-2 draw. But Türkiye had the last word, with Kaan Ayhan netting in the eighth minute of stoppage time to secure a 3-2 win for the Crescent-Stars. A gut punch for sure, and one that will serve as a lesson for the USMNT.
Not that many of the players were looking at it that way.
“I think tonight is maybe just a half a step back, but again, we know that if we want to beat good teams, we have to play 90 plus minutes of hard football and get results,” said defender Chris Richards, who was given the night off. “So for us, we look at the positives from tonight. Obviously, every game’s going to have some negatives that you can learn from. So we’re just using it as a learning opportunity rather than a gut punch.”
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U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino felt compelled to stress the big picture, that it is the USMNT that is moving on in the competition.
“The mood is like we [are going] home tonight and Türkiye is staying,” he said. “I need to [remind] you and everyone that we won the group. Sorry guys, we won.”
It was a performance that was by no means an oil painting, with huge oscillations between positive and negative play. This was to be expected given that Pochettino fielded a heavily rotated lineup. The Americans’ play was aided by the return of Christian Pulisic; his entrance in the 58th minute — his first minutes in the tournament since coming off at halftime in the opening match against Paraguay — saw the U.S. immediately look more fluid in attack. Prior to this entrance, the U.S. had been heavily reliant on set pieces. It showed just how much better the hosts are when Pulisic is on the field.
The lineup rotation was something that Pochettino had hinted at prior to the match, especially with four of his usual starters — Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Antonee Robinson, and Richards — sitting on yellow cards. The idea, in part, was to avoid risking them picking up another yellow and getting suspended for the round of 32. With the top spot in the group assured, and with Türkiye eliminated, there was little at stake, competition-wise. For that reason, there was also an inclination to give playing time to those who had mostly ridden the bench so far in this World Cup and give them some match practice that might come in handy later.
As it turned out, only midfielder Weston McKennie and forward Ricardo Pepi kept their spots in the starting lineup. Türkiye manager Vincenzo Montella — who is likely to be fired after the tournament — also rotated his lineup, making seven changes, though dangermen Arda Güler and Kenan Yildiz were on the field.
If that seemed like a recipe for chaos, well, that was indeed what unfolded. Auston Trusty staked the U.S. to a third-minute lead when Sebastian Berhalter’s corner kick fell to him at the far post, allowing him to fire home. But a 19th-minute foul by Berhalter that earned him a yellow card seemed to fire Türkiye up, and it played with edge for the rest of the half that resulted in two goals, the first by Güler in the 10th minute and the second by Orkun Kökçü in the 31st.
On both goals, center backs Mark McKenzie and Miles Robinson struggled mightily, misreading situations and failing to mark up in the box. The U.S. midfield didn’t do much to protect the back line either, with Güler’s defense-splitting pass in the 31st minute finding Eren Elmali down the left wing, and his centering feed found a wide-open Kökçü to slot home.
But the second half saw a revitalized U.S. side claw back the emotional edge in the game, with Berhalter lashing home his shot from outside the box in the 49th minute. There were chances to claim the lead as well, only for Türkiye to grab it at the death.
“I think at certain times maybe we could have controlled the game a little bit better and then maybe just got the ball better in their half, especially our positioning, too,” Berhalter said.
“First half felt like we were a little bit all over the place. Maybe too many guys behind the ball and not enough in front of the ball. But yeah, again, this is a group that was ready and that was itching to play. Again, I’m proud of everyone and I think everyone should be proud of themselves.”
Did Pochettino do the right thing in rotating his squad? Even with the result, one would have to say yes. If the U.S. goes deep into the tournament, depth will have to play a part. That the U.S. came back in the match will have given some of the second-tier performers some valuable experience. If any of the players sitting on yellow cards had gotten booked, Pochettino would have been hit with an avalanche of second guessing.
More importantly, the team grew into the game, getting to grips with the game’s pace and intensity in the second half. Berhalter was the primary example of this, recovering from some shaky moments in the first half to deliver the equalizer in the second. That the U.S. was able come from behind will give a boost to the collective psyche. That they let it slip will stick in the craw and act as a reminder of that keeping composure and concentration in a game’s latter stages is vital.
“I think every game is important for us. Every game is, you want to go out there and win,” said defender McKenzie, who played the full 90 minutes. “We don’t come into this feeling like it’s a free game all. No, we wanted to win and unfortunately, we didn’t, but at the same time, I think it’s another step for this group to figure out what we need to improve, as always. And now we have the round of 32 coming up in a few days. So, the biggest thing out is we’ll recover, regroup and go again.”
Even with the loss, there are still reasons to think the U.S. can make a deep run at this tournament. Pulisic’s return in particular will give the U.S. team belief. The USMNT attack hadn’t looked the same since he exited the Paraguay match. In his absence, the U.S.’s ability to press the opposition and create chances off turnovers, as well as maximize set piece opportunities had carried it through. Pulisic wasn’t without his down moments either, as he got nutmegged by Güler in the run-up to Türkiye’s game winner. But it is dynamic attacking play that will enable the USMNT to beat the kind of teams it will encounter in the knockout rounds. Pulisic — who had a shot that cannoned off the post — is the key to delivering that.
As for the team’s depth, this match raised almost as many questions as answers. Certainly, the back line needs its first-choice players available and healthy. Goalkeeper Matt Turner had some suspect moments as well, including having the final pass on the game winner go through his legs. Tim Weah admitted that Thursday’s performance wasn’t his best, and he was subbed out for Pulisic 13 minutes into the second half.
“I think I was the only disappointing player out there today,” he said. “I mean, you watch the game and it’s just being honest. I think everyone else was up to par and everyone played well. I think everyone that was out there today deserved to be out there. Me personally, I don’t think so.”
The scenario of digging so deeply into the team’s roster won’t need to be repeated with yellow cards wiped out for the next stage and players returning to health. It’s not just Pulisic who needs to be back; Richards, Adams, “Jedi” Robinson and others will need to return as well. The hope is that Pochettino will use his bench judiciously and carefully as the stakes rise.
There was plenty of discussion before the match about how the U.S. risked losing momentum if it lost to Türkiye. Indeed, the U.S. might have lost some, but it could also benefit the team long term. The match was a reminder that nothing can be taken for granted. With the round of 32 looming, the Americans will be well aware that they’ll need to be at their best to keep the wins coming.
