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With their ticket to the knockout round of the 

 already booked, the U.S. men's national soccer team closed its stellar group stage run with 

 of Group D before Thursday's game and Turkey already eliminated, the result of Thursday's match could have no effect on either team's tournament standings.

That allowed U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino to field a 

 who had mostly been substitutes in the team's previous two games — including defender Auston Trusty and midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, the two goal scorers for the U.S.

Trusty's third-minute strike made it three consecutive World Cup games in which the U.S. had scored first. Before halftime, the Americans found themselves trailing for the first time in this World Cup after goals by Turkey forwards Arda Güler and Barış Alper Yılmaz. 

Then, in the 49th minute, Berhalter caught a rebound at the top of the box and sent it through traffic — and under the feet of a hopping Weston McKennie — into the net to even it at 2-2. Finally, in the last play of stoppage time, Turkish midfielder Kaan Ayhan knocked in a goal to seize their team's only win of the World Cup.

After the game, Berhalter said the U.S could have controlled the game better. "We let some moments get away from us, but I thought performances overall were good, and some guys, haven't played in almost a minute, and they stepped up and did great, and you know I'm proud of the whole group," he said.

Pochettino praised his squad afterward and said, despite the loss, there were many positives to take away. "We won the group," he told reporters. "It makes me feel very positive about the future [in the knockout round]. We competed really well."

Starting the game on the bench were the four American players who came into their final group match carrying yellow cards — all of them key starters. Pochettino told reporters Wednesday they would sit out to avoid picking up a second yellow card, which would result in a suspension in the Round of 32.

Forward Christian Pulisic also did not start. But when he entered the game in the 58th minute, the pro-U.S. crowd at SoFi Stadium roared and gave him a standing ovation, welcoming their team's biggest star back from the calf injury that sidelined him during the previous game against Australia.

Pulisic did not score but looked sharp in his return. 

"It's tough. We wanted to walk away with no loss in the group stage, but we got to take it, as it was still a fantastic group stage," said forward Brenden Aaronson, who missed an open shot off a rebound from Pulisic that would have given the U.S. a 3-2 lead in the second half. "I'm not worried whatsoever. We're going to move on to the next one and be ready to go for Bosnia."

With its first-place finish in Group D, the U.S. will advance to the Round of 32 to face Bosnia and Herzegovina next Wednesday in Santa Clara, Calif., at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

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World Cup 2026

Becky Sullivan

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Win, lose or draw, the U.S. had already won Group D and a favorable path in the knockout round. A starting lineup of mostly substitutes held even with Turkey until the final play of the game.

With a Round of 32 spot already clinched, the U.S. loses to Turkey 3-2 in World Cup

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