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Editor's note: Keep up with the USA-Turkey game with our live blog, here.INGLEWOOD, CA — It wasn't the result the U.S. men's national team hoped for in its final group stage match of the 2026 World Cup. Now what?After scoring in the third minute of the match against Turkey on Thursday, June 25, Turkey responded with two goals to take a 2-1 lead into halftime. It was the first time Turkey scored in the tournament and the first time the U.S. has trailed. The USMNT was able to respond with a goal in the second half to tie it up, but it was a heartbreaker when Turkey scored a goal in the final minute of stoppage time to beat the U.S., 3-2.The loss may sound panic alarms for U.S. fans since it's the last group stage match before the round of 32 begins, but there isn't much to worry about; there wasn't much stress in the match regarding the future outlook for the USMNT:Shop U.S. World Cup ticketsUSA lost: Is it out of the World Cup?The U.S. is all good.The USMNT could afford to lose to Turkey since it already won Group D, therefore its place in the standings and spot in the round of 32 held regardless of Thursday's outcome. The U.S. won the group after beating Paraguay and Australia, therefore making the match against Turkey irrelevant. The USMNT will still face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 on July 1.That's why coach Mauricio Pochettino went with a lineup that mostly consists of reserves.If anything, the U.S. missed out on the chance to win all three group stage matches, which it has never done in its World Cup history.Shop U.S. vs. Bosnia World Cup tickets
