The U.S. men’s national team suffered a 3-2 defeat to Türkiye at SoFi Stadium when Kaan Ayhan scored a last-minute winner, ending an unbeaten run through World Cup group play, according to the match report. The Americans had won their first two games and secured the top spot in Group D, which gave manager Mauricio Pochettino an opportunity to rest most of his usual starters and evaluate depth.
Pochettino received a 6 out of 10 for the match, with the report noting that the primary objective was to gain a clearer view of roster options. The staff saw players they can trust in some roles while others raised additional questions. A draw appeared reasonable until the late breakdown that produced the loss.
Goalkeeper Matt Turner was rated 3. The report said Turner may have come out too early to close the angle on Arda Güler’s equalizer and appeared frozen on Orkun Kökçü’s go-ahead goal, though he was credited with consistency in stopping crosses prior to the late winner. Auston Trusty opened the scoring within the first two minutes with a corner finish, earning a 5 for his contributions and for drawing some difficult moments, including turnovers and 1-on-1 struggles with Güler.
Defensive line grades included Joe Scally (4), Miles Robinson (5) and Mark McKenzie (3). Scally was quieter than recent right-sided options and was cited as being out of position and beaten on Kökçü’s goal. Robinson made clearances during Türkiye’s surge but was also among those caught out on the second goal and on the match-winner. McKenzie was described as vulnerable on Güler’s early strike and again on subsequent goals.
In midfield, Weston McKennie was rated 5 for his attempts to control tempo and nearly converting on the initial corner that led to Trusty’s goal. Sebastian Berhalter received the match’s highest mark, a 7, with the report highlighting his consistent set-piece deliveries and a long-range strike that leveled the score. Giovanni Reyna (4) drew a foul and was involved in an exchange that led to a turnover and a subsequent counter, while Brenden Aaronson (4) earned a corner early but struggled to impose himself consistently.
The report concluded that the primary takeaway was a clearer understanding of squad depth as the U.S. heads to the knockout round.
