INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The U.S. men’s national team will face Turkey on Thursday, June 25, in a bizarre World Cup group stage finale at SoFi Stadium.
In the run-up to the World Cup, the match was expected to be a clash between the top two teams in the group. Instead, the USMNT has already advanced as group champions, and Turkey has already been eliminated.
As a result, the game will have no impact on the Group D standings, but there is still a lot at stake as the U.S. players compete for playing time in the lead-up to the finals.
USA TODAY Sports will broadcast the USA vs. Turkey game live from Southern California.
We are entering the second half. There are no changes on either side.
Turkey had a lot of possession in the games against Paraguay and Australia, but their attacks had little success. In contrast, the United States passes the ball around a lot, which seems to suit Türkiye.
Would you like to see Paris Hilton bring out the game ball in a dazzling 1994 denim kit? Of course you would!
It’s halftime. The US once again got off to a strong start, but this time they were unable to hang on as their last line was twice sacrificed by sharp Turkish attacks.
It may have been an unlikely double for Trusty. Trusty got up well from the corner but only managed to head it in.
McKennie took a good shot from long range, but Cakir made an easy save.
The United States seems a little shocked by Türkiye’s attack, but Turkey is growing more confident. Güler, in particular, has shown a lot of talent and skill.
For the first time in this World Cup, Türkiye took the lead while the USA was on the back foot. It was Cork who finished at close range after a great Turkish passing move sliced through the American final line. Turkey won 2-1.
McKenzie scored from close range from the rebound of a corner kick, but was offside by a significant amount.
In keeping with a new World Cup tradition, we arrived at the hydration break to the fans booing en masse.
Immediately after the yellow, Berhalter committed another foul. He will have to play carefully.
Berhalter took a loose touch and planted a stud in Ozcan’s ankle, which lowered the Turkish midfielder. It’s an early yellow for the American midfielder.
Turkey continued to press high up the field, putting pressure on the U.S.’s sometimes unstable last line. The reaction from visitors was also positive.
It wasn’t a great moment for McKenzie, although Turkey quickly hit back in the opening 10 minutes. McKenzie rolled the ball, received a pass from Yilmaz and finished from close range to Guler at the back. It was 1-1 in no time.
The Americans dominated Turkey from the first moment and almost scored before Trustee’s goal. Turkey has already paid the price for the lack of results.
The United States will be early to participate here as well. This time it’s not an own goal, but an unlikely scorer in the form of Auston Trusty! The defender took the end of the corner kick and kicked it into the back post, hitting the bouncing ball into the near post.
It’s underway here at SoFi Stadium!
Paris Hilton stands on the field wearing an eye-catching kit to bring out the official match ball.
A huge flag is unfurled and the players take to the field. This will be the first time the USMNT will wear dark blue uniforms at the World Cup.
It’s packed again here at SoFi, with almost all seats expected to be taken 15 minutes before kickoff.
Pochettino has made nine changes from the match against Australia and will be playing with almost a full rotation.
Turner; Trustee, M. Robinson, Mackenzie, Scully. Berhalter, Reyna, and McKechnie. Aaronson, Pepi, Ware
The matchup we had predicted has now been confirmed. The USMNT will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on Wednesday, July 1st. The game will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Read the story here.
Who is the man in the middle of this match? Tonight Algeria’s Mustafa Golbal will be in charge.
Click here for all referees.
The game is being broadcast on Fox, but you can also watch it on the Fubo or Fox One apps. Spanish-language broadcasts are available on Telemundo and Peacock.
Watch every World Cup match on Fubo
The matchup will kick off at 10pm ET.
Group D games will be held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The USMNT knows they will almost certainly face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32. But what happens if they win that match? Check out their potential opponents to advance to the last 16 here.
world cup standings live
Find all the latest updates and standings here.
Turkey was eliminated after two games, but they will be hoping to score their first goal of the tournament tonight and at least get their first point.
Turkey have taken an astonishing total of 62 shots this tournament, more than any other team through two games, but have yet to find the back of the net.
In the World Cup, if a player receives two yellow cards during the group stage, even if it is in the knockout stage, he will be suspended from the next match.
However, yellow cards will be reset after the group stage. The U.S. has several key players wearing yellow, but given the risks and Group D already decided, they could be rested against Turkey.
The following American players received yellow cards:
- Midfielder Tyler Adams received a yellow card in the 59th minute against Paraguay.
- Defender Anthony Robinson received a yellow card in the 56th minute of the match against Australia.
- Striker Folarin Balogun received a yellow card in the 89th minute against Australia.
- Defender Chris Richards received a yellow card in stoppage time in the second half of the match against Australia.
IRVINE, Calif. — Is the U.S. men’s national team scheduled to play Turkey on Thursday night?
That’s a question with several different answers.
Let’s start with the most basic. When it comes to rankings, the answer is no. And that has never happened before.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Alex Freeman may be the most influential player on the U.S. men’s national team.
For years, American soccer fans have bemoaned the gap between the USMNT and the rest of the world. If only our nation’s best athletes had chosen soccer over football or basketball, if only LeBron or McCaffrey had played soccer, we would have been on par with the Argentines and Francis.
Freeman is that coveted unicorn.
In addition to a skill set that elevated the right-back from an MLS reserve team to a World Cup starter in less than 18 months, Freeman’s father is a Super Bowl champion. If football is good enough for the son of an NFL star, Antonio Freeman, who led the league in receiving yards in 1998 and once held the record for longest TD reception in a Super Bowl, might change the way America’s kids think.
– Nancy Armor
Seth Terny: Türkiye 1-1 America
After making it through to the group, the United States will have to form a team centered on reserve players, but they will likely want to maintain this momentum. It may be difficult to win three games in a row against an injured Turkish team.
john arnold: Türkiye 1-2 America
Turkey finally got that goal, but the rotating USA could still find a way to win and keep the good vibes going until the round of 32.
victoria hernandez: Türkiye 1-2 America
The US doesn’t need to play at full strength with the group already solidified, but Turkey is too good to be competitive.
The Group D standings after the two games are as follows (goal difference in parentheses).
- *USA: 2-0-0 (+5) – 6 points
- Australia: 1-1-0 (0) – 3 points
- Paraguay: 1-1-0 (-2) – 3 points
- Türkiye: 0-2-0 (-3) – 0 points, eliminated
*- Advancement to Round of 32 decided
Turkey has never won a World Cup, finishing third in the 2002 tournament. This will be the country’s first World Cup appearance since then.
Check out USA TODAY Sports’ live group standings, stats and latest standings here.
