INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The United States men’s national team suffered a 3-2 defeat to Türkiye after Kaan Ayhan scored in the eighth minute of stoppage time to seal the win, according to the match report.
Auston Trusty put the U.S. ahead in the second minute when Sebastian Berhalter’s corner found him at the far post. Türkiye responded with an early goal from Arda Güler in the 10th minute and a 31st-minute strike from Orkun Kökçü to take the lead. The report noted the U.S. center backs, Mark McKenzie and Miles Robinson, struggled on those goals, and the midfield did not adequately protect the backline.
The Americans regained momentum in the second half when Berhalter scored from outside the box in the 49th minute to level the match. Christian Pulisic entered in the 58th minute — his first minutes of the tournament since leaving the opening match at halftime — and his presence immediately improved the U.S. attack, which had been largely reliant on set pieces prior to his arrival, according to the report.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino made significant changes to his starting lineup, partly because Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson were on yellow cards and risked suspension. With the group’s top spot secured and Türkiye already eliminated, Pochettino also sought to give playing time to those who had seen little action; only Weston McKennie and Ricardo Pepi retained their starting places from the previous lineup, the report said.
Türkiye also rotated heavily, making seven changes while keeping dangermen Güler and Kenan Yildiz on the field. The match featured wide swings between promising and problematic play for the hosts, a pattern the report described as neither decisive nor polished but valuable for testing depth should the U.S. advance further in the tournament.
