Turkey defeats United States 3-2 in World Cup group match
Turkey secured a 3-2 win over the United States in the final group game, while the U.S. prepares to face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the knockout round.
Turkey earned its sole World Cup victory by beating the United States 3-2 in the group-stage finale at SoFi Stadium. Auston Trusty gave the Americans an early lead in the third minute, but Arda Güler and Orkun Kökçü responded in the first half for Turkey. Sebastian Berhalter equalised early in the second half, and the match remained level until stoppage time, when Can Uzun delivered a ball to Kaan Ayhan, who scored the winning goal.
The United States had already secured a place in the knockout stage after wins over Paraguay and Australia, and coach Mauricio Pochettino rotated his lineup, introducing nine new starters. Christian Pulisic entered as a substitute in the 58th minute, returning after missing the first half of the opening match due to a calf injury.
With the loss, the U.S. will meet Bosnia-Herzegovina on July 1 in Santa Clara, California. Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who scored against Turkey, said the team will approach the upcoming match with the same intensity as a knockout game.
"We play every game like a knockout game. You saw that in our intensity and the way we worked. For us, it’s keep doing what we’ve been doing," Berhalter said.
The match also marked the 173rd goal of the tournament, surpassing the total recorded in the previous World Cup held in Qatar.
