Eliminated Turkey produced a dramatic late victory over World Cup co-hosts USA, scoring in the 98th minute to secure a 3-2 win in Los Angeles. Despite the result, USA advanced as Group D winners and will face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Round of 32.
Softfootball understands that USA started strongly and took the lead in the third minute when Auston Trusty headed home from a corner. However, Turkey responded with renewed attacking quality as Arda Güler and Barış Alper Yılmaz turned the match around before half-time.
The Americans, already guaranteed qualification, levelled immediately after the break through Sebastian Berhalter, who finished from the edge of the box. Christian Pulisic also returned from a calf injury as a second-half substitute and nearly completed the comeback, hitting the post.
Turkey, who had struggled in their previous matches despite creating 62 shots without scoring, finally found their finishing touch. Substitute Kaan Ayhan became the hero, converting a late opportunity from Can Uzun’s cross to seal a memorable 3-2 win.
The defeat ended USA’s perfect start after victories over Paraguay and Australia, but Mauricio Pochettino will take confidence from Pulisic’s return ahead of the knockout stage. Turkey leave the tournament with a final victory that restores some pride.
Player Ratings
USA
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| Matt Turner | 5.7 |
| Mark McKenzie | 5.8 |
| Miles Robinson | 6.2 |
| Auston Trusty | 7.5 |
| Joe Scally | 6.2 |
| Weston McKennie | 7.2 |
| Sebastian Berhalter | 9.0 |
| Brenden Aaronson | 6.0 |
| Giovanni Reyna | 6.0 |
| Timothy Weah | 5.3 |
| Ricardo Pepi | 5.9 |
Turkey
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| Uğurcan Çakır | 7.2 |
| Eren Elmalı | 7.6 |
| Abdülkerim Bardakcı | 7.2 |
| Ozan Kabak | 7.0 |
| Zeki Çelik | 7.5 |
| Orkun Kökçü | 7.6 |
| Salih Özcan | 7.3 |
| Kenan Yıldız | 6.6 |
| Arda Güler | 8.4 |
| Oğuz Aydın | 8.0 |
| Barış Alper Yılmaz | 8.3 |
Match Statistics
| Statistic | Turkey | USA |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 47% | 53% |
| Dangerous Attack | 37% | 45% |
| Attack | 28% | 17% |
| Ball Safe | 35% | 38% |
| Goal Attempts | 6 | 12 |
| Shots on Target | 4 | 7 |
| Shots off Target | 2 | 5 |
| Corner Kicks | 2 | 9 |
| Goal Kicks | 5 | 4 |
| Saves | 5 | 1 |
| Yellow Cards | 0 | 1 |
| Red Cards | 0 | 0 |
| Free Kicks | 13 | 14 |
| Offsides | 1 | 5 |
| Throw-ins | 27 | 31 |
| Substitutions | 5 | 5 |
| Fouls | 14 | 13 |
| Injuries | 2 | 1 |
| Goals | 3 | 2 |
