The US Men’s National Team walked into SoFi Stadium on June 25 with a perfect group-stage record and walked out with a 3-2 loss to Türkiye, courtesy of a Kaan Ayhan goal deep in stoppage time.
The result didn’t actually matter. The Americans had already locked up first place in Group D after beating Paraguay and Australia.
A dead rubber that felt very much alive
Coach Mauricio Pochettino rotated his squad heavily, fielding a predominantly reserve lineup for the final group match. Türkiye capitalized on every gap the backups left open. Ayhan’s last-gasp winner turned what could have been a forgettable draw into a result that will linger in the locker room. Pochettino, for his part, wasn’t interested in hand-wringing. When reporters pressed him on the defeat, he dismissed the line of questioning as “a little bit petty.”
The USMNT now faces Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on July 1.
