USMNT player – The U.S. men’s national team finished top of Group D after a 3-2 loss to Turkey at SoFi Stadium, but a stoppage-time winner ended the Americans’ group-stage high before they could carry it into the knockout rounds.
The U.S. men’s national team started fast at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on Thursday, June 25—then watched that momentum slip away in the span of a few cruel moments.
Mauricio Pochettino made nine changes to the lineup that had defeated Australia last week. with Weston McKennie and Ricardo Pepi the only two to keep their spots in the starting XI. Even with the rotation, the Americans struck again with the second quickest goal ever at a World Cup. Auston Trusty met a Sebastian Berhalter corner kick and powered home his first career international goal in the third minute.
For a while, it felt like the plan was working. Then Turkey grew into the match. Arda Güler leveled in the 10th minute, and Turkey took the lead 20 minutes later after Orkun Kökçü finished off a team move.
Just after halftime, Berhalter struck again—pulling the U.S. back level with a fantastic strike from outside the box. The game looked set to end in a tie until Turkey’s Kaan Ayhan turned in the winning goal in the eighth minute of stoppage time, with the last kick of the game.
Despite the heartbreak, the U.S. finished top of Group D and will play Bosnia & Herzegovina in the round of 32. The match is scheduled for Wednesday, July 1 in Santa Clara, California.
In that mixed picture, player performance ratings reflected both the brilliance and the gaps that came back to haunt the Americans.
GK: Matt Turner — 5. He made zero saves and conceded three goals—an outcome that leaves little room for debate.
RWB: Joe Scally — 6. Scally brought energy on the right flank on both sides of the ball, offering a solid option even if he doesn’t match the dynamism of Dest.
RCB: Mark McKenzie — 5. He had shaky moments tracking runners and dealing with Turkey’s movement.
CCB: Miles Robinson — 5.5. He was pulled out of position on Turkey’s first goal. The article credits him with avoiding a larger mistake afterward, but still places partial blame on the anchor of the defense.
LCB: Auston Trusty — 6.5. The third-minute goal was unforgettable—especially because it was his first career international goal at a World Cup. But defensively, the rating turns cautious after “questionable moments” gave Turkey clear chances.
LWB: Tim Weah — 4.5. It was a difficult night for Weah on the left flank. He struggled to make an impact, was either offside or giving the ball away too easily with nearly every touch. The knock-on effect is clear in the knockouts: he’ll need to shake this showing off when he returns to a substitute role.
CM: Sebastian Berhalter — 7. The midfielder delivered the equalizer with a strike from outside the box and did his best to fill Tyler Adam’s shoes. Defensively, the piece notes he isn’t a true No. 6, but he did an adequate job when asked.
CM: Weston McKennie — 7. McKennie again ran the engine of the team. The rating reflects the fact that he repeatedly came close to scoring, even as the finishing eluded him.
RAM: Gio Reyna — 5.5. Reyna received a big chance to start but couldn’t turn it into an attacking impact. The performance review says he didn’t get many opportunities to influence play around the attacking end.
LAM: Brenden Aaronson — 5. Aaronson’s energy is familiar, but the rating centers on final product. He missed an open goal on a rebound and failed to connect on some important passes going forward.
ST: Ricardo Pepi — 5.5. The hold-up play was described as good as usual. Still, beyond that, he offered little danger for Turkey. His sloppiness on the ball cost the team a few chances to score.
Sub: Christian Pulisic — 6.5. Pulisic appears to have shaken off a calf injury, coming on fresh and motivated. The piece frames it plainly: this team needs him at 100% in the knockouts.
Sub: Sergiño Dest — 5.5. Dest entered the game as a substitute and never got a real chance to influence it. Turkey seemed to exploit the right side of the defense after he came on.
Sub: Alex Zendejas — 6. A brief runout in his World Cup debut meant only a few moments on the ball, with no meaningful creation.
Sub: Alex Freeman — 5.5. Freeman came on to help shore up the defense, but the review says he couldn’t clear the ball on the winning goal. The article calls it harsh to blame him entirely while also holding him partly at fault.
Sub: Malik Tillman — NR. Late substitution. He only touched the ball a few times.
There’s a clear emotional contradiction in the final score: the U.S. survived a group that ended with a last-kick defeat. yet still locked in top spot—meaning the sting of what happened in Inglewood becomes something the team carries into Santa Clara on Wednesday. July 1 against Bosnia & Herzegovina.
USMNT Turkey vs USA 2026 World Cup SoFi Stadium Inglewood Mauricio Pochettino Berhalter Matt Turner Auston Trusty Weston McKennie Ricardo Pepi Arda Güler Orkun Kökçü Kaan Ayhan Bosnia and Herzegovina round of 32 Santa Clara
So they scored early then just… forgot how to defend? classic.
I saw the headline about Berhalter’s late strike and figured that would’ve won it. Why did the refs or something not stop the Turkey goal? Ugh.
Wait Bosnia & Herzegovina next? Thought it was gonna be a tougher bracket. Also who is Sebastian Berhalter?? like related to Gregg? I’m confused but still mad about that stoppage-time winner.
Matt Turner rating 5 and “zero saves” sounds like he just stood there the whole time. And they rotated the lineup with nine changes like that’s normal? Then Turkey scores twice and it’s over. I don’t even know why it says they still finished top of the group, doesn’t that mean they won?