U.S. loss to Turkey in final World Cup group match: A small bump, or cause for concern? - BERITAJA

Through the first 2 games of this summer’s World Cup, the U.S. was about arsenic cleanable arsenic a squad could be. It won some games, ne'er trailed, gave up conscionable a extremity and won its group handily, playing pinch a verve and assurance that erased each the doubts that had shadowed it coming in.

Then came Thursday.

With Mauricio Pochettino making a grounds 9 changes to a lineup that had fixed the U.S. its about successful commencement to a World Cup successful 96 years, the B squad that closed the group shape astatine SoFi Stadium pinch a 3-2 nonaccomplishment to Turkey served to punctual everyone really flawed this group could be.

The backline was porous, goalie Matt Turner gave up goals connected the first 2 shots he faced and pinch the objection of midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who had a extremity and an assist, nary of the starters really distinguished themselves. Whether immoderate of that matters won’t beryllium known until the U.S. adjacent takes the section successful the knockout rounds, facing Bosnia and Herzegovina connected Wednesday successful Santa Clara.

For Pochettino, whose contempt for normal has been a hallmark of his team’s World Cup run, clearing his chair and getting a U.S.-record 23 players connected the section successful the group shape was much more important than the result.

“The nonsubjective was to decorativeness first and we are first,” he said. “Now it is the adjacent shape and it is going to beryllium a final. And we are ready. We are overmuch amended than earlier that crippled because we had players now pinch 90 minutes successful their legs and performing and fresh to thief if we request from the opening aliases from the bench. It’s each positive.”

Maybe. Sure, Christian Pulisic, who hadn’t played since the first half of the first game, sewage backmost connected the section and looked bully successful a 32-minute cameo. But different than that the crippled was meaningless since the Americans had already won the group and qualified for the adjacent information while Turkey was going location nary matter the result.

The U.S. came successful riding a immense activity of momentum, though, and that’s gone now, erased connected Kaan Ayhan’s extremity connected the past touch of the game.

Does that matter?

“No,” skipper Tim Ream said pinch conviction. “You conscionable move the page.”

The acquisition the domiciled players got, he said, is much important than the last score.

“When we opportunity it didn’t mean anything, it’s still a meaningful game, right? It’s a World Cup game,” he said. “So it gives everybody a sensation of what life will beryllium for illustration if they are called upon and person to contribute.”

Midfielder Tyler Adams wasn’t truthful sure.

“I don’t cognize what it’s going to do,” he said. “I can’t foretell the future. I don’t person an 8 shot successful beforehand of me. We’ll spot what happens.”

What Adams can opportunity pinch certainty, however, is that successful the early the U.S. will person nary room for error. The games are each elimination matches now and 13 players connected the U.S. roster, including Adams, person knowledgeable that first hand, having mislaid successful the information of 16 4 years agone successful Qatar.

Turner said it’s up to those veterans to impart that contented connected the 13 who are playing successful their first World Cup.

“You request to really return attraction of the boxes erstwhile it comes to knockout round. That’s the biggest instruction that we learned,” said Turner, who started each 4 games successful the past World Cup. “It’s not needfully really beautiful a style you play. The chances you create is important, [but] the measurement you take sides your container is much important.

“Those games are going to beryllium decided by 1 goal, they’re going to beryllium narrow, and we’re going to person to beryllium compact and beryllium together, defensively, offensively, and return the chances erstwhile they come.”

The U.S. did small of that Thursday.

After a Berhalter area group up Auston Trusty for the first extremity successful the 3rd minute, Turkey’s Arda Guler, a Real Madrid midfielder, tied the people 7 minutes later, splitting a brace of U.S. defenders and moving onto a walk from Kenan Yildiz successful the halfway of the box, past lifting a changeable complete Turner.

Orkun Kokcu handed the U.S. its first shortage of the tourney erstwhile he recovered different large spread successful the U.S. defense, redirecting a transverse from Eren Elmali successful from the halfway of the container to springiness Turkey a 2-1 lead.

Berhalter tied the crippled again 4 minutes into the 2nd half, latching onto a loose shot astatine the apical of the punishment area and one-hopping a right-footed changeable conscionable wrong the adjacent post. The crippled stayed that measurement until Ayhan, who came connected pinch 2 minutes near successful regulation, slid betwixt 2 U.S. defenders to sound successful the game-winner 8 minutes into stoppage time.

For Berhalter, 1 of a grounds 21 Americans to get a commencement successful this World Cup, Pochettino’s determination to clear his chair was not only a reward, it was mentation for what’s to come.

“It’s each small kid’s dream, crossed the United States of America, to play successful a location World Cup. Just successful a World Cup successful general,” he said. “People made their debuts today, truthful congratulations everyone. This is what everybody looks guardant to.”

More important, he added, “we cognize everyone’s fresh to measurement up astatine immoderate moment.”

Which is bully because history suggests the roadworthy up is about the get a batch much challenging. The nonaccomplishment to Turkey was the Americans’ 10^th consecutive to a UEFA team, moving their winless streak against European opponents to 12 successful a row.

Guess which continent Bosnia and Herzegovina, who the U.S. faces next, is from?

Sports editor Iliana Limón Romero contributed to this story.