Well, this is uncharted territory. The U.S. men’s national team is approaching its final match of the World Cup group stage ... and isn’t fighting for its life. The Stars and Stripes have got off to a historic run on home soil this summer, cementing the top spot in Group D with a match to spare after dismantling both Paraguay and Australia. Thursday’s finale against Türkiye has absolutely no implication on the tournament standings, with the Crescent-Stars already packing their bags for home. So, what does USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino do? The U.S. has never been in this position before, making him poised to set a standard. Does he play every key starter like normal? Does he try something wild? Pochettino is known for his love of experimentation, but how far will he go on soccer’s grandest stage?Familiar Formation, Change of PersonnelMauricio Pochettino’s plans are working so far. | Alex Livesey/FIFA/Getty ImagesPochettino will likely opt for a 4-2-3-1 formation, the setup the USMNT used against Türkiye in June 2025, the last time the teams clashed. It is also the formation that Türkiye employs, making for a balanced encounter.The first thing Pochettino must consider when piecing together his lineup is yellow card status. There are four players who enter the Türkiye game with a yellow card to their name: Tyler Adams, Antonee Robinson, Chris Richards and Folarin Balogun.These four will be walking on eggshells. If one receives another yellow card in Matchday 3, he earns a suspension, forcing him on the bench for the pivotal round of 32. Per FIFA’s new World Cup regulations, though, all yellow cards will be wiped away at the end of the group stage and then again after the quarterfinals. This means that the four Americans simply need to get through the Türkiye match without getting written up, and their slates will be wiped clean.What’s the best way for them to get through the Türkiye match unscathed? Don’t play. USMNT’s Projected Lineup vs. TurkiyePochettino should ring the changes. | Sports Illustrated Sure, this quartet forms the core of Pochettino’s starting lineup and could drastically influence the game. That is all the more reason to keep them on the bench. Don’t risk them in a game with absolutely no bearing, to then perhaps lose them for a game that has all the bearing in the competition.Ricardo Pepi, who starred alongside Balogun in a two-striker system against Australia, is more than capable of being the lone striker. He dominated for PSV Eindhoven last season, scoring 16 goals across 16 starts in the Dutch Eredivisie. Goals may be Balogun’s life source, but Pepi is no stranger to the back of the net. Adams will be the hardest of the four to replace. The Bournemouth star is by far Pochettino’s strongest option in defensive midfield, and he anchors the center of the pitch. He is, however, the one who needs a spot on Thursday’s bench the most. Compete against the world. | SPORTS ILLUSTRATEDNot only is he in suspension territory, but Adams also has taken some serious knocks across the last two matches, even causing him to sit out of training last week due to “load management.” Pochettino made a risky move by including so few true midfielders in his World Cup roster. Risky is one thing, foolish is another. Now is not the time to drive his main No. 6 straight into the ground. Adams will need to be at full strength for the round of 32, or the USMNT’s likelihood of advancing deeper could be seriously threatened. He has big shoes to fill, but Sebastian Berhalter will likely be tasked with trying. Despite his relative lack of international experience, Pochettino trusts him in the midfield, and Berhalter does play as a deeper-lying midfielder for his club Vancouver Whitecaps.Richards also needs rest as much as he needs yellow card prevention. After a serious ankle injury late last month with club side Crystal Palace, the center back jumped right back into the fire, starting and playing 90 minutes in both World Cup matches. Mark McKenzie can take his place at right center back, as he did during the pre-tournament friendlies while Richards was still recovering.Robinson’s electricity down the left flank will be hard to replicate, but Max Arfsten is capable. The fullback has yet to make his World Cup debut but has the tools to impress with his tactical versatility and seamless transitions. Pick Your USMNT Starting XI!Pochettino is typically creative and may see Thursday as a rare opportunity to trial even more players ahead of the knockouts, in which the fatigue of the tournament starts to set into players’ bodies. Joe Scally, who earned a few minutes against Australia, could slide into right back, giving the heroic youngster, Alex Freeman, 21, some much-needed respite. Matt Turner could get the nod in between the sticks. He does, after all, have plenty of World Cup experience.The Argentine boss would be foolish to play Christian Pulisic, who was sidelined with calf pain for the Australia game after a tremendous performance against Paraguay. Even though the U.S. Soccer poster player is back to training, there is no reason for Pochettino to rush his recovery for this match. An extra week’s recuperation could do wonders for his availability in the knockout stage. Giovanni Reyna, another one of Pochettino’s surprise favorites off the bench, has played in that winger position before and could get the go-ahead against Türkiye.Regardless of how experimental Pochettino is, he may be reluctant to leave Weston McKennie and Malik Tillman out of the starting lineup. The midfield duo are the focal points of attacking progression and could prove key to still walking away with three points. A perfect group stage record would do wonders to build even more confidence and momentum for the knockout stage, a factor Pochettino will have to weigh against giving his stars a necessary break from center stage. READ THE LATEST USMNT NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FCAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow