USA’s last-gasp Turkey heartbreak stings for Pochettino

USMNT last-gasp – The United States were set for a stress-free route through the World Cup knockout stage after already sealing top spot in Group D, but a late Kaan Ayhan goal condemned Mauricio Pochettino’s rotated side to their first loss of the tournament—setting a painful t

For 97 minutes, Mauricio Pochettino could almost bank on the night running to script. The United States had conceded plenty of questions—two goals shipped against Turkey. openings that still needed addressing—but they were doing the job that matters most in a dead rubber: they were protected. largely unscathed. and cruising.

With the score at 2-2. the USMNT were heading toward the round of 32 unbeaten. rested from the start and with key players shielded from the risk of suspension. Christian Pulisic was back from injury and looked sharp in his return. and the changes gave players like Sebastian Berhalter a chance to start with real purpose.

Then the final kick arrived and everything flipped. Kaan Ayhan stole victory for Turkey. scoring from close range with virtually the last kick of the game on Thursday night. It was heartbreak in the 98th minute—one that will sting for Pochettino and for the US players who had seized their opportunity to prove their manager’s knockout plans should hold.

Still, the sting sits inside a bigger picture the US had already locked down. The Americans had sealed top spot in Group D before kick-off concerns could harden into panic. For the 70,000 fans inside SoFi Stadium, the result hurt, but the tournament didn’t suddenly change overnight. The real work starts now.

So they stayed a moment longer after full-time—huddled. as if hoping the emotion could be folded into discipline—before beginning a lap of appreciation. “Take Me Home. Country Roads” blared out from the speakers around SoFi Stadium. and the message from the night was clear even in defeat: the group stage is over. and the next test arrives soon.

That next test is Bosnia and Herzegovina, next week, the match Pochettino’s side will need to treat like the first real knockout assignment of the World Cup.

Pulisic’s 30-minute cameo offered one reason for comfort. He missed the second half of the win over Paraguay and the victory over Australia. but he didn’t look rusty when he returned. Only Weston McKennie. who captained the team in place of Tim Ream. and Ricardo Pepi kept their place from the win over Australia in Seattle. It showed at times—particularly early on, when the US backline wobbled in the face of Arda Guler’s brilliance.

Guler scored Turkey’s first goal and was involved in the second, which was scored by Orkun Kokcu. Over Turkey’s opening two games. they had 62 shots without finding the net—more than anyone else—before the breakthrough finally arrived in this match: two goals from their first two attempts on goal. and then their last.

The US had an early answer. Auston Trusty put them ahead, before they fell behind 2-1. Berhalter leveled shortly after halftime, but Ayhan had the final say.

The sequence in Inglewood was messy in the way knockout football rarely allows—especially for a side that had “rested key players” and aimed to avoid fresh suspension headaches. From kickoff, the US launched deep into Turkey territory. Gio Reyna forced a corner that wasn’t dealt with, and Trusty’s shot needed saving. Seconds later, Berhalter whipped in another corner that sailed all the way to Trusty at the far post. Trusty had enough time to take a touch. fire home. and then sprint toward the bench where he was mobbed by teammates and doused in water.

It became the second-fastest US goal in World Cup history.

But at the other end, the defending didn’t settle the way it needed to. Turkey leveled after 10 minutes. First. Guler outsmarted Mark McKenzie. leaving the defender on his heels. before beating Matt Turner. who was too slow off his line. McKenzie looked to make amends around the half-hour mark. Another US corner caused chaos, the ball cannoned around the box, and fell to the defender, who lashed it home.

His celebrations didn’t last. The goal was ruled out for offside.

Moments later, Turkey took the lead again. Orkun Kokcu struck to silence the star-studded crowd in Inglewood, California.

The night’s soundtrack reflected the gulf between expectation and reality. At 2-1 at the break, the stadium DJ played Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.” The song has become one of the sounds of the team’s summer alongside John Denver, and it seemed to light a fire under both the crowd and the players.

A few minutes into the second half, Berhalter delivered. He drilled a bouncing ball through a crowd of bodies and into the near post. and Reyna greeted him with a big embrace. Four years ago. a rift between their families threatened to rip US soccer apart—this was another night that showed how far the team has come.

Turkey still had to deal with Pulisic’s threat. The winger laid on a brilliant chance for Brenden Aaronson, whose skewed shot went wide. Pulisic then had an effort tipped on to the post by Ugurcan Cakir.

Then Ayhan ended it. A pull-back found Kokcu, who made no mistake in the first half, and after the US equalized, the late moments belonged to Turkey again. From close range, Ayhan made sure the US walked out with their first loss of the World Cup.

On top of the football, SoFi Stadium carried its own headlines. Every couple of minutes. a new face appeared on the giant. 360-degree screen hanging from the roof—sports and showbiz filling the suites around the $5.5billion playground. Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Will Ferrell, Owen Wilson, NBA legend Scottie Pippen and LA Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford were present. Kamala Harris was here too, along with Second Lady Usha Vance. Paris Hilton was on the field ahead of kickoff. but even after Pochettino rang the changes. she couldn’t squeeze into the starting XI.

Before the tournament, this was expected to carry weight for Group D’s fate. Instead, it became virtually meaningless in the standings—while still delivering real pain in the details. The US had sealed top spot already and aimed to coast through with rotated decisions and protected players. They got the first half of that plan right, and they got enough—until the last seconds—of the rest.

Now, with the knockout rounds approaching, the hard work starts with a different emotion. Not panic. Not collapse. Just the knowledge that one last-gasp moment can undo an otherwise controlled evening—and that Bosnia and Herzegovina will arrive without the luxury of dead rubber.

USMNT Turkey Mauricio Pochettino Christian Pulisic Sebastian Berhalter Kaan Ayhan Orkun Kokcu Arda Guler Auston Trusty World Cup Group D Bosnia and Herzegovina