A last-second goal costs the USMNT a 3-2 loss to Turkey in its World Cup group finale

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — With first place already secured, the U.S. men’s soccer team finished out its World Cup group stage slate with a 3-2 loss to Turkey on Thursday.

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The Americans were seconds away from their first unbeaten group run in tournament history, but Kaan Ayhan scored the winner with the last kick of the game in the 98th minute.

That took the air out of what had been a raucous crowd of 70,492 that watched Media’s Auston Trusty score the second-fastest U.S. goal in men’s World Cup history, and Sebastian Berhalter tie the score early in the second half after Turkey led 2-1 at halftime.

Still, with the group already wrapped up, the U.S. is set to face Bosnia & Herzegovina in the round of 32 on July 1 in Santa Clara, Calif. (8 p.m., Fox29, Telemundo 62). That matchup was confirmed earlier Thursday by other results across the final round of the group stage.

Against Turkey, U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino started the night by making even more lineup rotations than he’d hinted at. There were nine changes from the last starting group against Australia, and 10 from the opening game against Paraguay. Weston McKennie goes down as the only player to start all three games, and Ricardo Pepi as the only other player to start two.

Trusty got things going by smashing in a Sebastian Berhalter corner kick that fell right at his feet. The Media native and Union product ran away screaming as he celebrated his first national team goal, and the first U.S. goal at a men’s World Cup scored by a player born in the Philadelphia region.

The only other American goal scorer to have resided in the area was Scotland-to-Philadelphia immigrant Bart McGhee in 1930, the first tournament in history.

It was also the second-fastest scored by a U.S. player at a men’s World Cup, topping John O’Brien’s fourth-minute tally against Portugal in 2002. (Clint Dempsey’s strike in 30 seconds against Ghana in 2014 will be a lot harder to beat.)

Alas, the lead only lasted seven minutes. It started with Arda Güler of Spanish superpower Real Madrid taking a pretty pass from Oğuz Aydın, then beating Mark McKenzie twice off the dribble as he ran forward. The first move cleared a path for Barış Alper Yılmaz, and the second came when Yılmaz returned the ball to Güler for an easy finish past Matt Turner.

McKenzie nearly made up for it in the 29th when the U.S. got another corner kick and he cashed in a rebound. But he was offside when Pepi’s initial shot was saved by Uğurcan Çakır, so it didn’t count.

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Orkun Kökçü put Turkey ahead in the 31st by capping off the kind of move Turkey was supposed to make throughout this tournament: fast, skilled passing leading to a precise finish. Güler was in the middle of the buildup along with Turkey’s other superstar, Kenan Yıldız of Italy’s Juventus.

Now, at last, the team that had taken 62 shots over its first two games without scoring — the most of any team in the tournament, and the highest total without a goal since stats started in 1966 — was finally finding the net. And of course it had to come in this game, not just for the U.S.’ sake but for the sake of a team already eliminated from advancing.

The U.S. flew out of the gates again to start the second half, and this time Berhalter finished a goal instead of starting it. McKenzie launched a throw-in, Turkey’s Abdülkerim Bardakcı knocked it down in the box, the ball deflected out to Berhalter, and he lashed in a first-time hit from the 18-yard line.

Christian Pulisic was the first substitute to enter, replacing Tim Weah in the 58th. It wasn’t a surprise that he played, but it was a bit surprising that he came in so early.

Four minutes later, Brenden Aaronson caught a piece of a loose ball off Çakır’s save of a Pulisic shot, but his first-touch attempt rolled far off target.

A trio of subs entered in the 77th: Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman, and Alejandro Zendejas for Aaronson, Gio Reyna, and Joe Scally. That set up the U.S. with three centerbacks for the rest of the night, plus Trusty continuing his start on the left flank.

Malik Tillman was the last substitute to enter, replacing McKennie in the 86th.

Unfortunately, the night ended on a bad note for Trusty. He was clipped by Aydın and went down in a heap. But at least he could walk off under his own power, and he returned to the game after a short spell on the sideline.

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In this World Cup, underdogs are stealing the spotlight, the U.S. men are on a roll, and Philadelphia has not only welcomed the world but has given visitors a crash course on just how real the curse of the Rocky Statue can be.

Join Jonathan Tannenwald, the Inquirer’s soccer writer, and host Lisa Carlin, analyst for CBS Sports Golazo, as they dissect the matches, the moments, and more as Philly has its moment in soccer’s brightest spotlight. Watch our latest episode right here. 

Watch previous episodes:

Episode 1: The Wait is Over! 
Episode 2: Groups, Goals, and Glory
Episode 3: Electric Action in Philly

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