Mauricio Pochettino's World Cup lineup gamble doesn't pay off in U.S. loss to Turkey - BERITAJA

Mauricio Pochettino has made the unconventional accepted since taking complete arsenic coach of the nationalist squad 18 months ago. He’s experimented pinch formations and tactics, shaken up his roster and motivated players by demanding to cognize why they can’t make a heavy tally into this World Cup.

On Thursday he whitethorn person pushed that contempt for normal a small excessively far, pinch Kaan Ayhan goal’s heavy successful stoppage clip giving Turkey a 3-2 win and spoiling the Americans’ unbeaten start.

With the U.S. having already locked down a spot successful the knockout stages of the tournament, Pochettino emptied his bench, making 9 changes to his lineup for the group-stage finale pinch Turkey and giving 21 players a commencement successful the first round. And this clip the rotation of the dice didn’t work, pinch Turkey getting its only triumph of the tourney connected its past touch of the World Cup.

Whether the consequence robs Pochettino’s squad of the momentum it built successful opening the tourney pinch ascendant victories complete Paraguay and Australia won’t beryllium known until Wednesday, erstwhile the U.S. (2-1-0) faces Bosnia and Herzegovina, the third-place squad from Group B, successful its first elimination crippled successful Santa Clara.

Pochettino’s lineup changes were the about immoderate American coach has made successful consecutive World Cup games. And erstwhile Alejandro Zendejas came successful the 76th minute, he became the 23rd U.S. subordinate to look successful the tournament, besides a record.

Early on, Pochettino erstwhile again looked for illustration a genius, pinch astonishment starter Auston Trusty giving the U.S. a 1-0 lead little than 3 minutes into the game. The play started pinch Sebastian Berhalter, besides making his first World Cup start, sending a agelong right-footed area crossed the beforehand of the extremity to Trusty, who settled it pinch his first touch, past drilled a left-footed changeable from the acold separator of the six-yard container betwixt Turkish keeper Ugurcan Cakir and the adjacent post.

Turkey’s Kaan Ayhan scores the winning extremity successful stoppage time, sending the U.S. to a 3-2 nonaccomplishment astatine the World Cup connected Thursday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

It was the second-fastest U.S. extremity successful World Cup history. But the lead was short-lived, pinch Turkey evening things successful the 10th infinitesimal erstwhile Real Madrid midfielder Arda Guler slipped the people of U.S. halfway backmost Mark McKenzie and ran onto a walk from Kenan Yildiz astatine the punishment spot earlier lifting a left-footed changeable complete Matt Turner.

The changeable was the first Turner had faced successful the tourney and it marked the first clip successful this World Cup that the U.S. had fixed up a lead.

Turner did nary amended connected the 2nd changeable he faced, pinch Orkun Kokcu taking a centering walk from Eren Elmali astatine the separator of the six-yard container and redirecting it into the backmost of the net, handing the U.S. its first shortage of the tourney successful the 31st minute.

U.S. players huddle aft their 3-2 nonaccomplishment to Turkey astatine the World Cup connected Thursday.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

This clip it was Miles Robinson who was victimized, sticking retired his correct leg, but whiffing connected an effort to support Elmali’s walk from slipping through.

The U.S. pulled the extremity backmost connected different group portion 4 minutes into the 2nd half erstwhile a loose shot ricocheted retired to the apical of the area for the ever-present Berhalter who, fixed plentifulness of space, skipped a right-footed changeable conscionable wrong the adjacent station to moreover the score.

Ten minutes later Pochettino sent connected Christian Pulisic, who had been nursing a near calf injury, for the first clip since the opening half of the first crippled and he instantly made his beingness felt, creating 3 vulnerable chances up the near wing.

The truth that the U.S. grounded to person immoderate of them proved costly erstwhile Ayhan, surrounded by 3 U.S. defenders, scored connected a scramble successful beforehand of the net.

Turkey, playing successful a World Cup for the first clip since 2002, mislaid its first 2 games and was eliminated from advancing earlier Thursday’s match. And it took retired its vexation connected the U.S., playing a chippy crippled from the start.