INGLEWOOD, Calif. — A dramatic final kick of the match from Kaan Ayhan handed Turkey a 3-2 victory over the United States on Thursday night, giving the Turkish side their only win of this World Cup tournament.
The Americans were not without their bright moments. Auston Trusty opened the scoring just three minutes in, and Sebastian Berhalter equalized early in the second half. However, the result ultimately did not affect the U.S. standing — Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s squad had already clinched the top spot in Group D following earlier wins over Paraguay and Australia. The team will now turn its attention to Wednesday’s Round of 32 matchup against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
With little on the line, Pochettino made sweeping changes to his lineup, starting nine different players from previous matches. One familiar face did make an appearance — Christian Pulisic came on in the 58th minute. It marked his first action since leaving the Americans’ opening match at halftime with a calf injury.
Turkey, already eliminated from the tournament before Thursday’s game, showed plenty of fight. Arda Güler and Orkun Kökçü both found the net in the first half to give Turkey the lead heading into halftime.
The decisive moment came deep into stoppage time, in the eighth added minute. Can Uzun collected the ball near the back post and pushed it past a diving goalkeeper Matt Turner. Ayhan was there to slide it home and seal the stunning late victory for Turkey.
