Christian Pulisic made his return to the pitch as a second-half substitute in the United States' final World Cup group match against Turkiye on Thursday night. The Americans, having already secured their place in the knockout round, fielded nine new starters in what was effectively a meaningless fixture.
Pulisic's Return After Injury
Pulisic replaced Tim Weah in the 58th minute, marking his first game action since the first half of the US's 4-1 victory over Paraguay nearly two weeks ago. The AC Milan midfielder had been sidelined with a calf injury sustained at halftime of that match. This week, Pulisic stated he was ready to play again. He entered the 2-2 game to an enormous roar from the sellout crowd at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Just minutes later, he created a scoring opportunity with a dynamic run down the left side.
Nearly Scores, But Denied by Post
In the 63rd minute, Pulisic nearly scored, unleashing a quick shot off a pass from Sebastian Berhalter. Turkiye goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir deflected the ball onto the goalpost, and Brenden Aaronson botched the follow-up chance. Pulisic's presence energized the team and the crowd, but the US could not secure a win.
Pochettino's Rotation Strategy
With the US already having won its group and clinched a matchup with Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Round of 32, coach Mauricio Pochettino used this final group match to give playing time to the second string on his 26-man squad. Auston Trusty scored for the Americans in the third minute, but Turkiye took a 2-1 lead into halftime. Berhalter equalized for the US in the 49th minute.
Key Players Rested to Avoid Yellow Card Suspension
Pochettino kept Pulisic on the bench along with four key players who had already accumulated yellow cards: striker Folarin Balogun, Tyler Adams, and top defenders Antonee Robinson and Chris Richards. Weston McKennie and Ricardo Pepi were the only starters from the previous match against Australia to feature in the lineup against Turkiye. McKennie, the US captain against Turkiye, was the only player to start all three group matches, while Pepi retained his spot after replacing Pulisic against the Socceroos.
Goalkeeper Change and Debuts
Pochettino also swapped out starting goalkeeper Matt Freese for Matt Turner, who had been the Americans' starter for all four matches at the Qatar World Cup four years ago. The full set of new starters included Turner, Auston Trusty, Gio Reyna, Aaronson, Miles Robinson, Berhalter, Tim Weah, Mark McKenzie, and Joe Scally. Turner, Aaronson, McKenzie, and Miles Robinson all made their first appearances at this World Cup.
Upcoming Knockout Match
The United States will face Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday, July 1, in Santa Clara, California, in the Round of 32. The team will look to build on the depth shown in the draw against Turkiye as they enter the knockout phase of the tournament.
