USMNT falls to Türkiye in stoppage time, still wins group

Kaan Ayhan scored in the 98th minute to lift Türkiye past the United States 3-2 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, ending the U.S. group stage with a loss that still sent Mauricio Pochettino’s side through on top of Group D. The Americans finished with six points and advanced to the Round of 32, where they are set to face Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The defeat did not erase the numbers the U.S. had already put on the board. U.S. Soccer said the two goals against Türkiye gave the USMNT eight in the tournament, an all-time World Cup record for the program, and the six group-stage points were also the highest total in team history. Auston Trusty opened the scoring in the third minute for his first USMNT goal, and Sebastian Berhalter restored the lead early in the second half after Türkiye had answered.

Pochettino had rotated nine of his 11 starters and rested Christian Pulisic, but the reshuffled lineup still could not manage the final minutes. Türkiye, which FIFA described as coming out on top in a dramatic five-goal contest, found the winner on the final touch of the match. For a team that had been chasing a perfect group-stage run for the first time in World Cup history, the late collapse was a sharp reminder that margin for error narrows quickly once knockout rounds begin.

The result also exposed the areas Pochettino still has to solve before the tournament gets more unforgiving. Chris Richards called the defeat “maybe just a half a step back” and said the U.S. must play “90 plus minutes” to beat strong opponents. That point was visible in the game management: the Americans led twice, then allowed Türkiye back into the match and never fully closed the door.

Pochettino pushed back on the disappointment around the result, answering criticism by pointing out that the U.S. had won the group. His stance matched the larger picture, but the final sequence in Inglewood showed why depth, concentration and defensive discipline matter as much as attacking output in a World Cup. The USMNT has already banked the best group-stage finish in its history; the next test is whether that progress holds when one lapse can end the run.