Kaan Ayhan scored on the final kick of the match Thursday night, securing a 3-2 victory for Turkey over the United States in the World Cup. The Americans had already clinched the top spot in Group D with prior wins against Paraguay and Australia.
Auston Trusty opened the scoring for the U.S. in the third minute, and Sebastian Berhalter added a second-half equalizer. Despite fielding nine new starters for the match, the U.S. team saw Christian Pulisic enter the game in the 58th minute. Pulisic had not played since the first half of the Americans’ opening match due to a calf injury.
Turkey's goals came from Arda Güler and Orkun Kökçü in the first half. Güler, a 21-year-old Real Madrid player, was involved in Turkey's first goal in the 10th minute and later set up Kökçü's close-range shot in the 31st minute. Turkey scored on both of their shots on goal in the first half.
Berhalter tied the game in the 49th minute with a strike from approximately 20 yards out. Pulisic, returning to play for the first time since the Americans' 4-1 victory over Paraguay, entered the match to considerable crowd reaction. He nearly scored in the 63rd minute, but his shot hit the goalpost, and Brenden Aaronson missed the rebound.
Trusty's early goal marked the Americans' seventh goal of the tournament, setting a new scoring record before the knockout stage. The match also set a record for the most combined goals scored in a World Cup tournament, surpassing the previous record set in Qatar four years prior, despite being played in fewer matches.
The U.S. team will face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on Wednesday. The sellout crowd at SoFi Stadium remained engaged throughout the game, chanting and cheering for the American team.
Kaan Ayhan's game-winning goal came in the eighth minute of stoppage time when Can Uzun found Ayhan at the back post, who then scored past goalkeeper Matt Turner. This marked Turkey's only win in the tournament, as they had already been eliminated after losing their first two matches.