Pochettino shrugs off Turkey loss, says US tops World Cup group

Mauricio Pochettino brushed aside the United States’ 3-2 loss to Türkiye in Los Angeles, arguing that the result mattered far less than the Americans’ already secured finish atop Group D. The defeat came on Kaan Ayhan’s stoppage-time goal at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California, but it did not change a standings picture that sent the U.S. into the knockout rounds with six points, its highest total ever in a World Cup group stage.

The Americans had already clinched first place with victories over Paraguay and Australia, which gave Pochettino room to change nearly everything in his starting eleven. He made nine changes from the previous match, keeping only Weston McKennie, the captain, and Ricardo Pepi in the lineup. That rotation reflected a careful calculation in the final group game: protect players, avoid needless injury, and limit the threat of yellow-card suspensions before the knockout rounds.

Christian Pulisic was available for selection after returning to training following a calf issue, and U.S. Soccer said he was cleared to play. Pochettino had already signaled before kickoff that minutes would likely be managed for some players and that those carrying cautions would be handled with extra caution to avoid suspensions. The plan was built around the bigger prize, not the group-stage finish alone.

Pochettino’s response to the loss fit that outlook. He treated the result as a detail in a larger tournament run, not a setback that changed the U.S. path, and he framed history in terms of winning the World Cup rather than merely topping a group. The Americans did accomplish the first target, but the late goal by Ayhan showed how quickly a rotated side can be exposed when a game tightens in the final moments.

The scoreline left the United States with a clean statistical milestone and an unsettled performance. The team advanced from the group stage with six points, its best ever return at that point in a World Cup, but it also left Los Angeles with a reminder that the margin between controlled rotation and vulnerable football can shrink in a single stoppage-time sequence.