#WorldCup🇺🇸vs🇹🇷

USA vs. Turkey – A Dead Rubber With Plenty to Play For

Tonight at 10 PM ET (7 PM local time) at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the hosts take on Turkey in a Group D finale that's officially "meaningless" — but don't tell that to the players.

The Story So Far

The U.S. has already locked up Group D with two convincing wins: a 4-1 opening rout of Paraguay and a 2-0 victory over Australia. They've scored six goals, conceded just one, and are chasing history — the Americans have never won three consecutive World Cup matches.

Turkey? It's been a nightmare return to the World Cup after 24 years. Two losses, zero goals, and already eliminated. Paraguay's 1-0 win over Turkey officially ended their tournament hopes before this final match even kicks off.

The Twist

This is a "dead rubber" — no standings implications, no knockout stakes. But here's what makes it fascinating:

USA rotation incoming. Four key starters — Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, and Folarin Balogun — are all on yellow cards. One more and they'd miss the Round of 32 on July 1. Pochettino called it an "unnecessary risk" to start them.

Pulisic is back. The USMNT star sat out the Australia match with a calf injury but trained this week and says he feels ready. He'll likely come off the bench for 20–30 minutes rather than start.

Turkey's pride is on the line. They've taken a staggering 62 shots through two matches — the most of any World Cup team — but haven't found the net once. Their players are hungry to leave with at least something to show for their campaign.

The History

USA and Turkey have met five times previously — two wins each, one draw, seven goals apiece. Their most recent meeting was June 2025, when Turkey rallied for a 2-1 win after the U.S. scored in the opening minute. Every match has been decided by one goal or fewer.

Turkey's desperation meets a rotated, momentum-hungry U.S. side. With nothing to lose, the Crescent-Stars might finally break their goal drought. But the Americans are riding a wave — and Pochettino's squad doesn't want to limp into the knockouts with a bad taste.

Prediction: USA 2-1 Turkey — another one-goal thriller in this series.

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