U.S. falls to Türkiye, still tops World Cup group and advances

The United States took an early lead, lost its first World Cup match anyway and still walked out of Los Angeles Stadium atop Group D. A 3-2 defeat to Türkiye on June 25 left Mauricio Pochettino’s team with six points, enough to advance to the Round of 32 and, by U.S. Soccer’s count, the highest group-stage total in USMNT World Cup history.

Pochettino had already secured passage before kickoff and made nine changes from the June 19 win over Australia, a move that tested the squad’s depth rather than its first-choice rhythm. Auston Trusty struck in the third minute, a finish U.S. Soccer identified as the second-fastest FIFA World Cup goal in USMNT history, and Sebastian Berhalter added both a goal and an assist. Christian Pulisic, who left the first match at halftime, returned to World Cup action in the second half, giving the U.S. one more established attacker as the game tightened.

Türkiye, eliminated before kickoff after losing its first two matches without scoring, still found a way to turn the night in stoppage time. The winner underscored how thin the margin remained between a controlled group-stage finish and a warning sign about defensive stability, especially after the U.S. changed nearly an entire lineup and could not protect an early advantage. The Americans reached the knockout round with their record points total, but the late collapse left open the question of whether the rotation exposed a manageable stumble or a deeper tactical weakness.

The matchup fit the history between the two sides. The United States and Türkiye had met five previous times, with the series level at 2 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw, and every one of those games decided by a single goal or less. This meeting followed that pattern until the final moments, when Türkiye made the more decisive play.

Bosnia and Herzegovina now awaits in the Round of 32 on Wednesday, June 30, in Santa Clara, California. For Pochettino, the next task is clear: keep the legs fresh enough to justify the rotation, but tighten the structure enough that an early goal does not unravel into a loss.