1 of 5 | Christian Pulisic of the United States reacts after Turkey scored the winning goal in the last minute of play during a FIFA World Cup match Thursday at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. Photo by Christian Brunskill/UPI | License Photo
U.S. players believe they remain at a “top level,” despite a group stage finale loss to Turkey, and are ready for the Round of 32 at the World Cup.
The No. 15 Americans, who clinched Group D on Saturday, surrendered a goal in the 98th minute of the finale to take the 3-2 setback Thursday in Inglewood, Calif.
“It’s tough,” U.S. forward Brenden Aaronson told reporters at Los Angeles Stadium. “We wanted to walk away with no losses in the group stage, but we gotta take it, as it was still a fantastic group stage.
“We had so many really good performances. … We are at a top level. I’m not worried whatsoever.”
Aaronson and the Americans will meet No. 62 Bosnia and Herzegovina in a Round of 32 match Wednesday in Santa Clara, Calif.
The Americans’ early securement of the group allowed coach Mauricio Pochettino to rest many star players, avoiding injury risk and potential yellow cards, which could have resulted in one-game suspensions. it also allowed reserve players to gain World Cup experience ahead of the knockout stage.
“The objective was to finish first and we are first,” Pochettino said. “And now, it’s the next stage and we are ready. We are much better than before that game because we have players with 90 minutes in their legs and to help and if we need effort from the bench.
“I think it’s all positive.”
Forward Christian Pulisic was among those who benefited from the rest. Pulisic, who missed the Americans’ second of three group stage games due to a calf issue, entered the game as a substitute in the 58th minute.
“I felt healthy,” Pulisic said on the Fox broadcast. “I felt good. So it was really nice to be back with the team and yeah, get some minutes. I felt good. I felt good with the ball.
“It was a tough way to end for us, for sure. But at the end of the day, we won the group and we just have to look forward to next week.”
The Americans outshot their Turkish foes 18-9, with seven on target. They held an edge in possession of 53% to 47%.
Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter assisted left back Auston Trusty for first blood in the third minute of the Group D finale. That shot came from a Berhalter corner kick, which found Trusty at the far post. Trusty finished the play by calmly bringing the ball down and using his second touch to blast a shot behind Turkey goalie Ugurcan Cakir.
But midfielder Arda Guler netted an equalizer in the 10th minute. Turkish forward Baris Alper Yilmaz added a go-ahead goal in the 31st minute.
Berhalter beat Cakir with an 18-yard half volley for a 49th minute equalizer, but the Americans didn’t score again. The game looked destined for a draw until Turkey took advantage of a chaotic final scramble in front of the U.S. net.
Guler sparked the sequence with a nutmeg of Pulisic near the right corner flag. He then started a passing sequence, which led to a chip to the far post. The U.S. defense denied an initial attempt, but the ball bounced around and found the boot of defender Kaan Ayhan, who buried a shot from point-blank range.
The Americans finished group play with a 2-1-0 record. They scored eight times, while surrendering four goals. No. 28 Australia (1-1-1) finished second and also advanced to the knockout stage. No. 37 Paraguay (1-1-1) finished third and remains alive for Round of 32 consideration.
The Group C title was the Americans’ first group stage crown since the 2010 World Cup. It was the third time in history that the Americans won their group at a World Cup.
Bosnia and Herzegovina secured a spot in the knockout stage with a 3-1 win over No. 61 Qatar on Wednesday in Seattle. No. 16 Switzerland won Group B, ahead of second-place No. 32 Canada and third-place Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Earlier Thursday, Australia and Paraguay played to a 0-0 draw. The No. 7 Netherlands won Group F with a 3-1 win over No. 59 Tunisia. Fellow Group F foes No. 17 Japan and No. 36 Sweden played to a 1-1 draw. Sweden secured one of the eight third-place entries into the Round of 32. Japan, who finished second in Group F, also advanced.
No. 24 Ecuador beat No. 12 Germany, who previously clinched Group E, 2-1 on Thursday in East Rutherford, N.J. to clinch a third-place berth to the Round of 32. The No. 30 Ivory Coast beat Group E foe No. 82 Curacao 2-0 to earn a second-place berth to the knockout stage.
The Americans will battle Bosnia and Herzegovina at 8 p.m. EDT Wednesday at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. The game will air on Fox.
The winner of that match will meet the winner of Group G, No. 31 South Korea, or a third-place team from Group E, H, I or J in the Round of 16.
No. 26 Egypt (1-0-1) currently leads Group G, ahead of second-place No. 21 Iran (0-0-2). The squads will meet in a Group G finale at 11 p.m. Friday in Seattle. Fellow Group G members No. 10 Belgium (0-0-2) and No. 84 New Zealand (0-1-1) will play at the same time in Vancouver.
Group H leader No. 3 Spain (1-0-1) will face second-place No. 18 Uruguay (0-0-2) in another crucial match at 8 p.m. Friday in Guadalajara, Mexico. Third-place No. 64 Cape Verde (0-0-2) and last-place No. 58 Saudi Arabia (0-1-1) will meet in another Group H finale at the same time in Houston.
The Americans could meet any of the Group H teams in the Round of 16, if they beat Bosnia and Herzegovina. No. 19 Senegal, No. 60 Iraq, No. 23 Austria and No. 29 Algeria are among other squads they could face in the second round of the knockout stage.
Iraq will face Senegal in a Group I finale at 3 p.m. Friday in Toronto. Group I leader No. 2 France (2-0-0) will battle second-place No. 22 Norway (2-0-0) at the same time in Foxborough, Mass.
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Staff members of the Sweden ambassador to Japan pose for photos during a public viewing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup match between Japan and Sweden in Tokyo on June 26, 2026. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
