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USMNT player ratings vs Turkiye: Christian Pulisic returns, Sebastian Berhalter and Auston Trusty impress but late goal spoils perfect start

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Turkiye

Christian Pulisic returned from injury, and Sebastian Berhalter starred, but a heavily rotated USMNT side conceded in stoppage time as Turkiye ended their perfect World Cup start.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- It wasn't perfect, but it was nearly unbeaten. The U.S. Men's National Team were seconds away from finishing a strong World Cup group stage run without a loss. They also had a chance to secure three wins in this phase for the first time in their history. Then, with time almost gone and a key player hobbled by injury, Turkiye snatched a 3-2 win at the death.

The result was, in truth, mostly inconsequential. The USMNT still won the group, and Turkiye are still heading home. But they'll leave a little happier, while the Americans march into the knockout rounds with the vibes slightly dented after letting a draw slip away with virtually the final kick.

After failing to score on their first 62 shots of this tournament, Turkiye made the most of their chances against a heavily rotated USMNT side. That U.S. team, though, never wavered, scoring first before then showing the mettle to come from behind and nearly earn a result.

In the early minutes, it looked like the USMNT, which featured nine new starters, could run away with things again. Auston Trusty scored just three minutes in before darting towards the bench to celebrate yet another early U.S. goal. The first two both went down as own goals, but not this one; it was a perfect combination between Trusty and Sebastian Berhalter, who teed him up from a corner kick.

Turkiye then fired off two punches of their own. The first came from their star, Arda Guler, who took advantage of some sloppy USMNT defending 10 minutes in. Then, in the 31st minute, the U.S. backline collapsed again against a wave of Turkish numbers, allowing Orkan Kokcu a simple finish.

The U.S. ignited in the second half. Berhalter's sweet strike in the 49th leveled the scoreline before the Christian Pulisic cavalry arrived soon after. Returning from injury, Pulisic created multiple chances, but none quite came off. That, ultimately, came back to bite them. With Trusty hobbling due to an apparent ankle injury, Kaan Ayhan drifted in to score in the 96th minute to break American hearts.

They won't be too broken, in truth. Manager Mauricio Pochettino will, generally, be happy with the performance given the circumstances. Ultimately, it just wasn't quite good enough to keep the unbeaten streak going.

GOAL rates USMNT players from Los Angeles...

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    Goalkeeper & Defense

    Matt Turner (6/10):

    Defense left him out to dry on the two goals, and they were Turkey's only two shots on target in the first half. Did come off his line in the second half to halt a dangerous Turkiye chance.

    Auston Trusty (7/10):

    What a moment for a player who, for years, had to fight for a USMNT chance. He made the most of the one that fell to him on Thursday, and actually had a few more that could have ended up in the back of the net, too. Defensively, had some moments at an unfamiliar left back spot. Hopefully, his late-game injury isn't serious.

    Mark McKenzie (5/10):

    Caught out way too easily on the pass that led to the opening goal. Was then unlucky to see a goal of his own called back. Had that initial wobble, but did settle back into the game.

    Miles Robinson (5/10):

    Was one of several players to not cover themselves in glory on Turkiye's second. Got a little too cute with an attempted touch instead of just throwing his body in the way. Did have plenty of other clearances, though.

    Joe Scally (6/10):

    Was fine. Second goal came down his side, but he did the best he could given Turkiye's numbers in that moment.

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    Midfield

    Sebastian Berhalter (9/10):

    Incredible on set pieces as always, which saw him earn an assist for the opener. Then scored his own goal with a stunning strike. In between, he was the USMNT midfielder with the most defensive responsibility. Overall, a huge game.

    Weston McKennie (7/10):

    More of what we've seen from the first two games. McKennie is doing so, so many things well, and those things are a big reason why the U.S. has looked so good to start this tournament.

    Gio Reyna (5/10):

    Completed a lot of passes, but they never really amounted to anything. While Reyna kept the tempo, he didn't bring that dose of creativity that he usually does in a USMNT shirt.

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    Attack

    Tim Weah (4/10):

    Struggled a lot, at least by his standards. Drifted offside too much and never really looked capable of beating his defender. Just didn't really work out on that less familiar left-hand side.

    Brenden Aaronson (6/10):

    Had a golden chance in the second half that he put wide. Overall, he was active and was pretty good in the final third, but was unable to quite put together that final moment of magic.

    Ricardo Pepi (5/10):

    Wasn't as involved as anyone would have wanted to be. Just couldn't find that yard or two of separation as Turkiye's center backs largely kept him in check.

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  • Türkiye v USA: Group D - FIFA World Cup 2026Getty Images Sport

    Subs & Manager

    Christian Pulisic (8/10):

    Instantly showed his quality. Had a shot saved, hit the post, and flashed a chance just wide. This wasn't him at his best because, if it was one of those would have gone in, but there's no denying he brought life to the game.

    Alex Zendejas (6/10):

    Was part of one dangerous sequence, but the ref called it back for offside.

    Alex Freeman (6/10):

    Had a few moments where he had to do things on that right-hand side.

    Sergino Dest (N/A):

    Hardly got a touch of the ball.

    Malik Tillman (N/A):

    Played just a few minutes in the end as the U.S. chased a winner.

    Mauricio Pochettino (8/10):

    Didn't get the win, but he'll be happy with how his team performed. Showed they can go ahead and then showed that they can come from behind. Plenty of reasons for optimism as the U.S. builds going forward.