By Greg Beacham
The Associated Press
June 26, 2026 - 5:41 am
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The United States lone wanted to get done its last World Cup radical signifier lucifer Thursday nighttime without an wounded oregon a reddish card, portion Turkey was playing for a face-saving triumph to extremity a dismal tournament.
Both teams got what they wanted astir retired of their meaningless gathering earlier the Americans caput connected to the knockout signifier — and manager Mauricio Pochettino was annoyed by immoderate proposition that the Americans’ last-gasp, 3-2 decision said thing antagonistic astir the authorities of his team.
Kaan Ayhan scored connected the last footwear of the lucifer to nonstop Turkey past the U.S. successful the eighth infinitesimal of stoppage clip for its lone triumph of the World Cup.
The effect was meaningless to the Americans, who volition conscionable Bosnia-Herzegovina successful the Round of 32 connected Wednesday. Pochettino sent retired 9 caller starters, including 8 who were starting a World Cup lucifer for the archetypal time.
The U.S. tied it aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional connected a extremity by Sebastian Berhalter, and the Americans got wrong a fewer seconds of an unbeaten tally done the radical stage. But successful his postgame quality conference, Pochettino expressed his annoyance with what helium perceived arsenic disappointment successful the result.
“For you not accidental congratulations that we won the group, that is simply a small spot sad,” Pochettino told reporters.
“What we request to retrieve is we won archetypal spot successful this group,” Pochettino added portion speaking successful Spanish and English. “We ended up being No. 1, and we managed each the unit and the expectations rather well. We had different priorities. We wanted to win. We did privation the victory, but determination are different things we needed to equilibrium out, and that’s however I made the decisions. … Making past is winning the World Cup, not conscionable winning the group. It’s a small spot petty, if you will. You’re reasoning conscionable a small spot excessively small.”
Auston Trusty scored successful the 3rd infinitesimal for the Americans, who bushed Paraguay and Australia by a combined 6-1 to publication their spot successful the knockouts.
Pochettino fielded astir an wholly caller lineup for this low-stakes game, notably resting each 4 cardinal players who picked up yellowish cards earlier successful the tournament.
Christian Pulisic entered successful the 58th minute, however. The AC Milan midfielder hadn’t played since the archetypal fractional of the Americans’ opener owed to a calf injury, and helium was progressive successful a mates of aboriginal scoring chances earlier getting beaten connected the helping connected Turkey’s winning goal.
“We could person done amended connected immoderate antiaircraft plays, but it happens,” said Brenden Aaronson, 1 of 9 caller starters chosen by Pochettino for the radical finale.
“You marque (nine) changes, and the squad mightiness not beryllium utilized to arsenic the guys that person been playing,” Aaronson added. “It showed the hustle, the aggressiveness of the team. I deliberation it’s a positive, due to the fact that Turkey is simply a apical team. They mightiness person not performed their champion passim this tournament, but their prime is connected the transportation and you tin spot it.”
Berhalter said helium doesn’t judge the Americans mislaid immoderate momentum from this adjacent defeat.
“You saw the 2nd half, however we came out,” said Berhalter, who tied it successful the 49th infinitesimal by moving connected to a escaped shot astir 20 yards retired for a vicious strike. “I deliberation we deserved much retired of that game. We slipped successful the past 2nd of the game. … We gave everything we had, and we’ll beryllium acceptable for the knockouts. The guys did well. We fought. Unfortunate not to get a result, but we’ll beryllium acceptable for sure.”
Arda Güler and Orkun Kökçü scored successful the archetypal fractional of a resilient show by Turkey, which had already been eliminated aft losing its archetypal 2 matches contempt mostly dominating some statistically.
Turkey improbably won successful the eighth infinitesimal of stoppage clip erstwhile Can Uzun got the shot successful abstraction connected the backmost station and pushed it past sprawling goalkeeper Matt Turner to Ayhan, who slid to sound it home.
“I’m super-happy with however my players played tonight,” Turkey manager Vincenzo Montella said done an interpreter. “They showcased each of their skills, each of their abilities, each of their character. Playing the mode they played contiguous successful an distant match, against a precise large crowd, if they weren’t arsenic beardown arsenic they are, they wouldn’t person made it tonight.
“I’m truly blessed for the Turkish people. I tin accidental that we tin spell backmost location with our chin up.”
Indeed, the game’s meaninglessness didn’t substance to the raucous sellout assemblage that packed SoFi Stadium. The American team’s instrumentality basal has been energized by its beardown commencement to this location World Cup — and this Los Angeles-area assemblage was inactive chanting and lasting erstwhile Berhalter airmailed a agelong country to Trusty, who made the stadium shingle erstwhile helium banged it location wrong the backmost post.
Trusty’s extremity was the Americans’ seventh of the tournament, tying their scoring grounds for immoderate World Cup earlier knockout play adjacent begins. It was besides the 173rd extremity of this tournament, breaking the grounds for the astir combined goals scored successful a World Cup acceptable successful Qatar 4 years agone — and doing it successful 4 less matches.
English (US)·