Kaan Ayhan’s stoppage-time finish handed Türkiye a 3-2 victory over the United States at SoFi Stadium on Thursday, eliminating the host nation from their own World Cup group stage. The USA had pulled level at 2-2 through Sebastian Berhalter four minutes into the second half, and Mauricio Pochettino’s side pushed hard for a winner that never came. Instead, it was Türkiye who grabbed the decisive goal in the final seconds, completing a comeback that began as early as the 10th minute.
Key Moments
- 3′, Auston Trusty put the USA ahead, converting what the data lists as a normal goal to give the hosts a dream opening.
- 10′, Arda Guler leveled for Türkiye, canceling out the early American lead and settling his side down quickly.
- 31′, Burak Yilmaz gave Türkiye the lead for the first time, putting them 2-1 up before halftime.
- 49′, Sebastian Berhalter equalized for the USA just four minutes into the second half, making it 2-2 and setting up a frantic final half-hour.
- 90′, Kaan Ayhan struck in the 90th minute to win it for Türkiye, sending the American crowd into silence and ending the host nation’s group stage campaign.
Tactical Breakdown
The USA controlled possession at 53% and generated significantly more volume in attack, putting 18 total shots on target compared to Türkiye’s 9. Pochettino’s 4-1-2-3 shape gave the Americans width through Timothy Weah and Brenden Aaronson, and nine corner kicks reflected how consistently they threatened from set pieces. The problem was conversion: only 7 of those 18 shots were on goal, and the USA’s goalkeeper was not called upon to make a single save all night, a stat that speaks to how rarely Türkiye needed to go through the American backline to create danger.
Türkiye, set up in a 4-2-3-1 by Vincenzo Montella, were content to absorb pressure and hit on the counter. Their goalkeeper, Ugurcan Cakir, was kept busy with 5 saves, but the team’s shape held firm when it needed to. The double pivot of Orkun Kokcu and Salih Ozcan screened the back four effectively, and Guler’s early goal gave the team belief. Pochettino responded with four substitutions between the 76th and 86th minutes, including the withdrawals of Weah, Reyna, Aaronson, and McKennie, but the changes disrupted rhythm rather than restoring it. Türkiye, who brought on Kenan Yildiz and Kokcu’s replacement at 84 and 88 minutes respectively, were better at managing the final stages.
For the USA, the 90th-minute concession was a painful summary of the match’s underlying tension. Berhalter’s yellow card in the 19th minute for roughing added early pressure, and while his equalizer on 49 minutes suggested a turning point, the Americans’ inability to find a winner despite their territorial dominance proved fatal. Thirteen fouls committed, five offsides, and a goalkeeper who never had to make a save all point to a side that had possession but not enough cutting edge when it mattered most.
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Verdict
The result eliminates the United States from the 2026 World Cup group stage, a brutal outcome for a host nation that had the ball and the crowd but could not hold off a Türkiye side that never stopped believing. For Pochettino, it is a damaging exit that will prompt serious questions about the team’s ability to convert possession into goals at the highest level. Türkiye, meanwhile, advance from the group stage on the back of a gritty, opportunistic performance that Montella will draw plenty of confidence from.