Pochettino Rested 9 Starters and Türkiye Stunned the USA

Pochettino Rested 9 Starters and Türkiye Stunned the USA

Did the USA advance to the Round of 32?

Yes. The United States lost 3-2 to Türkiye on June 26, 2026, but still advanced to the Round of 32 as Group D winners with six points. As The New York Times and USA Today both reported, the defeat never threatened the Americans’ top spot or their July 1 knockout berth.

⚽ The 30-second version: Türkiye won 3-2 on a Kaan Ayhan goal in the eighth minute of stoppage time. The USMNT had already clinched Group D. Mauricio Pochettino made nine changes and rested four yellow-card-carrying starters. Next up: Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, July 1, at Levi’s Stadium.

A flawless group stage, undone by the last kick

Two games, two wins, six points, top of the group. The U.S. walked into SoFi Stadium with nothing left to prove and a knockout ticket already in its pocket. Then the last kick of the night spoiled the record.

Deep into stoppage time the 98th minute, eight minutes past 90 Türkiye defender Kaan Ayhan lashed home a loose ball inside the box. Türkiye, already eliminated, erupted like champions. The home crowd went quiet. And the USMNT’s perfect start to a home World Cup turned into a 3-2 loss.

Here’s the thing: it changed nothing where it counts.

How Türkiye stunned the USA on the last kick

The scoreline swung all night. Auston Trusty headed the U.S. in front inside three minutes. Arda Güler equalised by the 10th. Bariş Alper Yılmaz put Türkiye ahead in the 31st. Sebastian Berhalter levelled it right after the break in the 49th. Then Ayhan broke American hearts at the death.

What stings and what most highlight reels skip is that the U.S. controlled the ball and the chances. According to FIFA’s official match stats, the Americans outshot Türkiye 18 to 8 and landed seven shots on target to Türkiye’s two. They lost anyway. That’s football.

Goal timeline:

• ⚽ Trusty 3′ — USA 1-0
• ⚽ Güler 10′ — 1-1
• ⚽ Yılmaz 31′ — 1-2
• ⚽ Berhalter 49′ — 2-2
• ⚽ Ayhan 90’+8′ — 2-3

Why Pochettino Rested 9 rested nine starters (and why he was right)

This is where the mild controversy lives. Pochettino Rested 9 made nine changes from the Australia win, sending out a lineup with eight players making their first-ever World Cup start. Four regulars Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards, and Antonee Robinson sat the whole night.

The reasoning was simple and smart. All four were carrying a yellow card. A second booking in the group finale would have triggered an automatic suspension for the Round of 32. ESPN flat-out called playing them in a dead rubber “coaching malpractice.” Matt Turner started in goal over Matt Freese, and Christian Pulisic eased back from a calf injury with a substitute appearance in the 58th minute.

So no, this wasn’t recklessness. It was a coach shielding his best XI for the game that actually matters. The loss is noise. The fresh legs and the clean suspension sheet are the signal.

What the loss actually means for the USMNT

Let’s be honest about the warning signs, though. The second unit competed but conceded a sloppy goal in the dying seconds and that’s exactly the kind of lapse that ends tournaments in the knockout round.

CNN described the result as the end of the “honeymoon” for Pochettino and the U.S. The coach wasn’t having it. In a notably prickly post-match press conference covered by The New York Times, he pushed back on questions about lost momentum: “Sorry guys, we won (the group).” Fair enough winning a World Cup group as the host is no small thing.

Here’s my take: one rotated loss to an eliminated team tells you almost nothing. The depth got real minutes, Pulisic banked fitness, and the starters get a clean slate. Momentum is a story we tell after results not something you can actually lose in a dead rubber.

Next up: USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina

The reward for winning Group D is a Round of 32 date with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, July 1, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Yellow cards reset after the group stage, so Adams, Balogun, Richards, and Robinson are all available again. Expect Pochettino’s first-choice lineup to return this is the one that counts.

Final Group D standings

The U.S. finished top despite the loss. Türkiye’s win was a consolation in an otherwise lost campaign.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Did the USA advance to the Round of 32 after losing to Türkiye?

Yes. The United States advanced to the Round of 32 as Group D winners despite a 3-2 loss to Türkiye on June 26, 2026. The U.S. had already clinched first place with six points from wins over Paraguay and Australia, so the defeat had no effect on its knockout qualification.

What was the final score of USA vs Türkiye?

Türkiye beat the United States 3-2 at SoFi Stadium. Auston Trusty and Sebastian Berhalter scored for the U.S., while Arda Güler, Bariş Alper Yılmaz, and Kaan Ayhan found the net for Türkiye. Ayhan’s winner came in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time.

Why did Pochettino rest so many starters against Türkiye?

Mauricio Pochettino Rested 9 made nine changes to protect key players. Four starters Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards, and Antonee Robinson were carrying yellow cards. A second booking would have triggered a suspension for the Round of 32, so he sat them in a match with nothing on the line.

Who scored the winning goal for Türkiye?

Kaan Ayhan scored Türkiye’s winner in the eighth minute of stoppage time, finishing a loose ball inside the penalty area. The strike completed a 3-2 comeback and handed Türkiye a morale-boosting victory, even though the team had already been eliminated from Round of 32 contention.

Who will the USA play in the Round of 32?

The United States will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. As Group D winners, the Americans earned a favorable matchup, and their yellow-card-carrying starters are all available again after suspensions reset.

Was Christian Pulisic fit to play against Türkiye?

Christian Pulisic returned from a calf injury and came off the bench in the 58th minute against Türkiye. He had missed the group-stage win over Australia. His substitute appearance was a managed return designed to build fitness ahead of the Round of 32 knockout match.

Three things to remember. The USMNT lost the match but won the group, so the Round of 32 was never in doubt. Pochettino’s nine changes were a calculated move to protect a healthy, suspension-free first XI. And a last-kick defeat to an already-eliminated side is the cheapest loss in football.

The real verdict comes July 1 against Bosnia and Herzegovina. So what do you think was resting nine starters smart management, or did Pochettino hand away momentum right before the knockouts? Drop your take in the comments.

References

1. FIFA. “Türkiye v USA 3-2 Result, Stats & Highlights.” 2026. Fifa
2. USA Today (Vertelney, Armour, Mendoza). “USA blows it vs. Turkey, but still moves on to World Cup round of 32.” 2026. Usatoday
3. The New York Times / The Athletic (Tom Bogert). “Pochettino takes issue with questioning after USMNT’s Turkey loss.” 2026. Nytimes
4. BBC Sport. “Turkey 3-2 USA: Co-hosts beaten by last kick of game but move into last 32.” 2026. bbc
5. ESPN. “USMNT faces World Cup dilemma vs. Türkiye: Rotate squad or keep same XI?” 2026. Espn
6. CNN. “A last-second goal ends the World Cup honeymoon for Mauricio Pochettino and the USA.” 2026. Cnn