The United States men's national soccer team concluded its World Cup group stage play with a 3-2 loss to Turkey, a result coach Mauricio Pochettino deemed inconsequential to the team's overall objective of advancing.
Kaan Ayhan scored in the eighth minute of stoppage time for Turkey, securing their only victory of the tournament. The U.S. had already clinched a spot in the Round of 32, where they are set to face Bosnia-Herzegovina. Pochettino opted to rest key players, fielding nine new starters, eight of whom were making their World Cup debut.
"For you not say congratulations that we won the group, that is a little bit sad," Pochettino stated in his postgame news conference, reacting to what he perceived as disappointment over the loss. "What we need to remember is we won first place in this group. We ended up being No. 1, and we managed all the pressure and the expectations quite well."
Pochettino emphasized that the team had other priorities beyond this match, including managing player fatigue and avoiding injuries or red cards. "We had other priorities. We wanted to win. We did want the victory, but there are other things we needed to balance out, and that’s how I made the decisions," he explained. "Making history is winning the World Cup, not just winning the group. It’s a little bit petty, if you will. You’re thinking just a little bit too small."
The U.S. initially took the lead in the third minute with a goal from Auston Trusty. Sebastian Berhalter equalized for the Americans early in the second half, bringing the team within moments of an unbeaten group stage run. Christian Pulisic, returning from a calf injury, entered the match in the 58th minute.
"We could have done better on some defensive plays, but it happens," said Brenden Aaronson, one of the nine new starters. "You make (nine) changes, and the team might not be used to as the guys that have been playing. It showed the hustle, the aggressiveness of the team. I think it’s a positive, because Turkey is a top team."
Berhalter also expressed confidence in the team's readiness for the knockout stage, despite the late defeat. "I think we deserved more out of that game. We slipped in the last second of the game. ... We gave everything we had, and we’ll be ready for the knockouts. The guys did well. We fought. Unfortunate not to get a result, but we’ll be ready for sure."
Turkey's goals in the first half came from Arda Güler and Orkun Kökçü. The match saw a record number of combined goals in a World Cup tournament, with this being the 173rd goal scored across 60 matches, surpassing the previous record set in Qatar four years prior despite being played in fewer games.