Turkey 3-2 USA: Kaan Ayhan's 90+8' stunner ends USMNT group stage with a warning shot

• Auston Trusty opened the scoring in the 3rd minute with a ferocious finish from a Sebastian Berhalter corner — the second-fastest goal by the US at a World Cup .
• Arda Güler equalized in the 10th minute, set up by Yılmaz .
• Barış Alper Yılmaz then put Turkey ahead in the 31st minute, with Orkun Kökçü credited with the assist .
• Sebastian Berhalter tied it at 2–2 early in the second half, scoring in the 49th minute .
• Kaan Ayhan scored the winner in the 8th minute of added time, finishing from close range after a set-piece sequence that began with a throw-in . The goal came on the final kick of the match .

Why Pochettino rotated: yellow-card management and injury limitations

Manager Mauricio Pochettino made nine changes to the lineup, resting nearly every regular starter . The primary driver was yellow-card discipline: Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards, and Antonee Robinson each entered the match on one yellow card, and a second booking in the group stage would have triggered a suspension for the Round of 32 .

Christian Pulisic's fitness also factored into the selection. The AC Milan forward had missed the second half of the Paraguay win and the full Australia match with a left calf injury . He declared himself fit on Wednesday and appeared off the bench against Turkey .

Pochettino said before the match that the four yellow-card-threatened players would be rotated out, while Pulisic would be assessed until game day . The result was an experimental lineup that included backup center-back Auston Trusty and midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who both scored .

Defensive struggles

The rotated U.S. side conceded three goals, including two inside the first 31 minutes . Turkey's first goal came just seven minutes after Trusty's opener, and Yılmaz put Turkey ahead before halftime . The decisive blow came deep into stoppage time, when Ayhan scored on the final kick of the match after a set-piece sequence that began with a throw-in .

The Guardian described the US defense as having "crumbled under pressure" in the first half . The late sequence underlined the defensive issues the U.S. will need to address before the knockout stage .

What the result means for the knockout stage

The U.S. finished Group D with a 2–1–0 record and six points, having already won the group before the match . The loss was their first of the tournament but did not affect their group position .

The defeat means the U.S. enters the knockout stage on a losing note despite having already secured first place in Group D . On the positive side, the yellow-card-threatened players were protected from a second group-stage booking, while Pulisic also got minutes off the bench .

The USMNT will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on July 1 in Santa Clara, California . With defensive lapses — especially conceding the winner deep into added time from a set-piece sequence — Pochettino has clear issues to review before that game .