Onto The Next One: USA Can’t Let This Loss Stop World Cup Momentum

LOS ANGELES STADIUM – Was this a lesson or a letdown? That is a question this U.S. men’s national team must answer after its stunning 3-2 loss to Türkiye in the waning seconds of stoppage time on Thursday night. Because no matter what’s happened up to this point, the Americans’ body of work will be judged by what comes next. The USA faces Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on July 1 at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. Will it look like the squad that has captivated the nation over the first few weeks of the World Cup, or the one that appeared disjointed at times against Türkiye? The knockout stage resets everything, and the slate is cleared. “We want to keep going in this tournament,” said Chris Richards, who did not play as a precaution after previously picking up a yellow card. “We have a really strong team, a really hungry team. A lot of us guys who started the last few games, we were hurting that we couldn’t be out there tonight, so ultimately, I think it’s gonna light a fire under us and want to get the job done early next game.” The U.S. entered the group finale in an unusual position. It had already secured first place in Group D and a berth in the knockout round, while Türkiye had already been eliminated after dropping its first two matches. On paper, there was little at stake. What seemed most important to the players was momentum – they talked about it all week. With the elimination round looming — where every match is win or go home — they viewed Thursday as an opportunity to continue building up confidence. U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino made nine changes to his starting lineup from the previous match, including a surprising move by putting Matt Turner in goal in place of Matt Freese. He also rested four key starters — Richards, Tyler Adams, Antonee Robinson and Folarin Balogun — to avoid risking a second yellow card that would have led to a suspension for the next game. This gave several players who had seen little to no minutes an opportunity to make an impact, and the Americans got off to another hot start when Auston Trusty scored his first international goal just three minutes in. The U.S. surrendered the lead before halftime, but Sebastian Berhalter equalized with a rocket in the 49th minute. Despite creating several promising chances in the second half – especially once Christian Pulisic was subbed into the game – the U.S. couldn’t finish, and as the match went on, there was a sense inside the stadium it would end in a draw. That would have been good enough, but with seconds left in stoppage time, Kaan Ayhan slipped a right-footed shot past Turner for the lead, silencing the stadium. Afterward, the Americans were glum. They tried to talk about positive takeaways from the night – like moving onto the next round and how many players made their World Cup debuts. But their body language told a different story. Ricardo Pepi, who made his second consecutive start but couldn’t get anything going, walked quickly past reporters with the hood of his sweatshirt covering most of his face. Pulisic, who came on in the second half after missing the last match due to a calf injury, was whisked through the mixed zone interview area by a U.S. Soccer official and did not take questions. Tim Weah, who said he was disappointed in his performance, took the blame for one of Türkiye’s goals. Berhalter didn’t even want to talk about his stellar goal – he also recorded an assist, becoming the first American player to record both a goal and an assist in a World Cup match since 1966. “Take Me Home, Country Roads” blared throughout the stadium again as the players took a lap around the field after the final whistle, but this time it didn’t carry the same celebratory feel. “It’s a gut punch for a lot of guys,” Turner said, taking a deep breath. “I mean, this was a lot of our chance to step out there and show that we deserved and that we earned [to play], so you want it to go perfectly. But this sport can be so cruel and, as good as you play, it doesn’t always equal the final results. So it’s disappointing.” Players said the result won’t affect momentum or mindset moving forward. They were pleased that as of now, every healthy player on the roster has seen the field in this tournament. Cristian Roldan, who is dealing with a quadricep issue, is the only one who has not. They were also happy that Pulisic, who had not played since the first half of the Paraguay game, was back on the pitch. Weird things happen in World Cups. Germany, who also already booked its place in the knockout stage, lost its final group game on Thursday, too. Now the Americans need to find a way to use this bit of adversity as fuel. “We need to move on, but we’re full of confidence,” Brendon Aaronson told reporters after the game. “I’m not worried about it. I’m not worried at all. I think the team is in a great spot.”