Türkiye Salvage 3-2 Win over US in Group D Finale
On the last day of Group D play, Arda Güler and Turkey played the kind of match that had been expected of them from the start of the World Cup, and it proved to be better late than never for Ay-Yıldızlılar.
A well-taken stoppage-time stunner from Kaan Ayhan off a slick ball into the box by Can Uzun sealed the shocking result in the 98th minute, and the team at the bottom of Group D finally gave its supporters something to cheer about.
There weren’t many Turkey fans at the Miami FIFA fan fest (I believe I counted three or four total), but the few who stuck it out to the end went wild as the bewildered USMNT fans filed out of the amphitheater.
It was a well-deserved moment of joy, as the Turks may not be advancing to the Round of 32, but they will at least be walking away from the tournament with some positive vibes. In front of a raucous home crowd for the US at SoFi Stadium in the moments that mattered the absolute most, Turkey won the little battles and appeared to want the result just that little extra bit more.
That isn't to say that the Stars and Stripes had some horribly off night or mailed it in by any means. They just fell short of the kind of all-in commitment to every assignment for the full 90 minutes that US fans had grown accustomed to after the national team’s group clinching victories over Paraguay and Australia.
The match looked like it had the makings of another US romp from the outset, as in just the third minute, defender Auston Trusty fired home his first-ever goal for the USMNT with the poise of a striker off a Sebastian Berhalter corner.
But it didn’t take long for Güler to help flip the script in the 10th minute, beautifully finishing a chance created by Barış Alper Yılmaz on a break that caught the US off guard.
The Stars and Stripes appeared to retake the lead later in the half, but Mark McKenzie’s effort was ruled offside. Then, as would prove to be a common theme, just when it appeared the US was about to take the initiative and gain the advantage, it was the Turks who pulled the rug out from under them.
Yılmaz deflected in a shot from Orkun Kökçü after another great sequence by Turkey on a quick break that, again, stunned the US and put them behind for the first time in this World Cup.
Despite the USMNT’s 19 shots (seven on target), and the fact that for large portions of the match, they appeared to be in control, Turkey were far more deliberate and clinical with the chances they made for themselves.
The Turks maintained that 2-1 lead into the halftime break, but shortly after the teams retook the field, Berhalter, who had himself a hell of a match, fired home an excellent strike from the top of the box to equalize in the 49th minute.
The US got another emotional boost with the return of Captain America, Christian Pulisic, in the 57th minute, and he made an immediate impact with some dangerous runs that quelled any fears regarding the status of his calf.
With a healthy Pulisic on the pitch and momentum appearing to shift in the US’s favor, it really did feel like the Stars and Stripes might put home a late winner to send the fans in LA and around the nation into hysterics.
But it was not meant to be, as Ayhan proved to be Turkey’s own super-sub coming on in the 87th minute and needing just 11 minutes to score his nation’s third and final goal of both the match and the World Cup.
Truthfully, Vincenzo Montella’s superb man management and game plan, to me at least, constituted the first instance in this World Cup run where Mauricio Pochettino was outclassed. But that’s only due to the high bar that the US manager has set for himself, and there’s no reason to expect that he won’t take away as much from this match as his players will.
And there is most definitely a lot to take away from it, even though it was a match that ultimately meant nothing for the US’s standing heading into the Round of 32.
All things considered, it was the kind of result that could pay dividends for the US going forward, as it served as a disappointing reminder that momentum, shot opportunities, and possession are only as good as what a team actually does with them, and that winning or losing a World Cup match under any circumstances can come down to the finest of margins.
With knockout play about to begin, one defensive lapse, missed assignment, or sloppy pass can now prove the difference between advancement and going home, and that’s a lesson that the US must learn now rather than later.
Personally, I was concerned even before Thursday’s match that if the USMNT had cruised to nine points in group play, they might make the deadly mistake of underestimating Bosnia & Herzegovina, their upcoming opponent in the Round of 32. One needs only to ask the Italians how that worked out for them.
However, with the sting of the loss to Turkey fresh in their minds, I’m actually a little more confident that the Stars and Stripes will not take anything for granted going forward, as the heat, for really the first time in this World Cup run, is well and truly on for them.
Bosnia have shown that they can thrive against opponents facing such pressure, as Zmajevi (the Dragons) are certainly, as the expression goes, playing with house money.
Yet despite Thursday’s loss, again, the US did show some ability to come back when staring at a deficit and having the wind taken out of their sails for the first time all tournament. Having at least some experience with facing those kinds of twists and turns, as relatively light as the ultimate ramifications of the match were, can only serve the US well down the line.
How the US learns from this match will ultimately be seen in that fateful tie on July 1st in San Francisco, as the wait, the nerves, and the buildup now begin in earnest for the USMNT and its fans.