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With a Round of 32 spot already clinched, the U.S. takes on Turkey in the World Cup
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Special Series Soccer Edition Follow the World Cup in the NPR App Find Your Station Sign up for Up First for Soccer Edition on Tuesdays The 2026 FIFA World Cup is from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Sixteen host cities across North America, including Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Seattle, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, Kansas City, Miami, and New York/New Jersey in the United States. The NPR Network will have coverage from across the country leading up to and during the championship. With a Round of 32 spot already clinched, the U.S.
− takes on Turkey in the World Cup Updated June 25, 202610:08 PM ET Originally published June 25, 202612:00 AM ET Becky Sullivan
Auston Trusty #6 of the United States celebrates with teammate Sebastian Berhalter #14 after scoring his team's first goal during their World Cup match against Turkey on Thursday in Inglewood, Calif.
+ loses to Turkey 3-2 in World Cup Updated June 26, 202612:07 AM ET Originally published June 25, 202612:00 AM ET Becky Sullivan
Orkun Kökçü #6 of Turkey is challenged by Sebastian Berhalter of the United States during Thursday's World Cup Group D match in Inglewood, Calif.
− Win, lose or draw, the U.S.
+ Despite the 3-2 U.S.
− has already won its group and will advance to the knockout round.
+ loss, the U.S.
− Jamie Squire/Getty Images hide caption
Editor's note: The U.S.
+ had already won its group to advance to the knockout round.
− scores first for the third straight game in this World Cup!
+ Jamie Squire/Getty Images hide caption
INGLEWOOD, Calif.
− A corner kick in the third minute found defender Auston Trusty and his left foot, who powered it past Turkey's goalkeeper.
+ — With their ticket to the knockout round of the FIFA World Cup already booked, the U.S.
− The U.S.
+ men's national soccer team closed its stellar group stage run with a 3-2 loss to Turkey.
Soccer Edition Long before the World Cup, Ukrainian immigrants built a soccer powerhouse in Philly With the U.S.
− leads 1-0
Turkey wastes no time in evening things up!
+ already the winner of Group D before Thursday's game and Turkey already eliminated, the result of Thursday's match could have no effect on either team's tournament standings.
That allowed U.S.
− In the 10th minute, a turnover in the Americans' defensive third ends up on the foot of Turkey star Arda Güler, who doesn't miss. 1-1.
+ coach Mauricio Pochettino to field a starting lineup of players who had mostly been substitutes in the team's previous two games — including defender Auston Trusty and midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, the two goal scorers for the U.S.
− Turkey takes the lead!
+ Trusty's third-minute strike made it three consecutive World Cup games in which the U.S.
− The other young Turkish star, attacker Kenan Yildiz, sends a cross into the box, and Orkun Kökçü slides it in to go up 2-1 in the 31st minute.
+ had scored first.
− The U.S.
+ Before halftime, the Americans found themselves trailing for the first time in this World Cup after goals by Turkey forwards Arda Güler and Barış Alper Yılmaz.
− trails for the first time in this World Cup.
——————————-
INGLEWOOD, Calif.
+ Then, in the 49th minute, Berhalter caught a rebound at the top of the box and sent it through traffic — and under the feet of a hopping Weston McKennie — into the net to even it at 2-2.
− — For the U.S. men's national soccer team, a loss in Thursday night's FIFA World Cup game against Turkey wouldn't change anything.
+ Finally, in the last play of stoppage time, Turkish midfielder Kaan Ayhan knocked in a goal to seize their team's only win of the World Cup.
− A win, though, would be history.
Soccer Edition Long before the World Cup, Ukrainian immigrants built a soccer powerhouse in Philly The squad's earlier wins over Paraguay and Australia, plus two losses by Turkey to the same teams, mean the Americans have already won their group and clinched a favorable path in the knockout round, no matter the outcome of Thursday's game.
But the American men have never won more than two games in a single World Cup.
+ After the game, Berhalter said the U.S could have controlled the game better.
− A third win would be new territory for this team, which has not been shy about its aspirations in this tournament and its confidence about living up to them.
+ "We let some moments get away from us, but I thought performances overall were good, and some guys, haven't played in almost a minute, and they stepped up and did great, and you know I'm proud of the whole group," he said.
− "The group stage is not done yet.
+ Soccer Edition US eases restriction on Iran's World Cup team, allowing travel 2 days before next match Pochettino praised his squad afterward and said, despite the loss, there were many positives to take away.
− We want to end it the right way.
+ "We won the group," he told reporters.
− We want to end it the way we came into it and continue to build off of the momentum that we've been creating," said defender Mark McKenzie, speaking to reporters Wednesday.
Soccer Edition US eases restriction on Iran's World Cup team, allowing travel 2 days before next match Because the outcome of the game does not affect knockout-round placement, the U.S.
+ "It makes me feel very positive about the future [in the knockout round].
− starting lineup will look dramatically different than its two previous World Cup games.
+ We competed really well."
Starting the game on the bench were the four American players who came into their final group match carrying yellow cards — all of them key starters.
− Only one player from the team's original starting eleven — midfielder Weston McKennie — will start Thursday's match against Turkey.
+ Pochettino told reporters Wednesday they would sit out to avoid picking up a second yellow card, which would result in a suspension in the Round of 32.
− Four U.S.
+ Forward Christian Pulisic also did not start.
− players are carrying a yellow card and will sit out to avoid the risk of picking up a second, which would result in an automatic suspension in the Round of 32, in which the U.S.
+ But when he entered the game in the 58th minute, the pro-U.S.
− will face Bosnia and Herzegovina. All four players with a yellow — defenders Antonee Robinson and Chris Richards, midfielder Tyler Adams and forward Folarin Balogun — are key starters and crucial to any U.S. aspirations of a deep run. (Single yellow cards will be cleared after the group stage concludes.)
Forward Christian Pulisic will also start the game on the bench. He missed the U.S.-Australia game with a minor calf injury, but he rejoined the team in training this week and will be available as a substitute. Forward Ricardo Pepi started the Australia game in place of Pulisic and earned another start against Turkey.
+ crowd at SoFi Stadium roared and gave him a standing ovation, welcoming their team's biggest star back from the calf injury that sidelined him during the previous game against Australia.
− Turkey had come into the World Cup with high expectations. With talented young stars like the 21-year-old attackers Arda Güler of Real Madrid and Kenan Yildiz of Juventus, the team was thought by many — from analysts to the players themselves — to be a dark horse capable of a deep run.
+ Pulisic did not score but looked sharp in his return.
− Instead, they were eliminated last week when their loss to Paraguay followed the U.S.
+ "It's tough.
− win over Australia, prompting apologies from Turkey's despondent players to their fans after the game.
Soccer Edition The Viking chant that became Norway's World Cup rallying cry On Wednesday, Yildiz echoed that apology and promised to "give our best" in Thursday's game against the U.S.
+ We wanted to walk away with no loss in the group stage, but we got to take it, as it was still a fantastic group stage," said forward Brenden Aaronson, who missed an open shot off a rebound from Pulisic that would have given the U.S.
− "We had high expectations.
+ a 3-2 lead in the second half.
− I know because all of our country was supporting us and thought we will come very far," Yildiz said.
+ "I'm not worried whatsoever.
− "Hopefully for the next game we can make a good result and go out with pride."
The U.S.
+ We're going to move on to the next one and be ready to go for Bosnia."
With its first-place finish in Group D, the U.S.
− and Turkey last faced each other in an international friendly in June 2025, which Turkey won 2-1.
+ will advance to the Round of 32 to face Bosnia and Herzegovina next Wednesday in Santa Clara, Calif., at 8 p.m.
− The U.S. roster for that game was missing several key players, including Pulisic, Robinson, Balogun and McKennie.
+ Eastern time.
− "We had a really young team, but we went out there and put in a good performance. I don't think the result necessarily reflected how we played," Richards said. "Whoever's on the field, I know we're going to go out there and give 110 percent."
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