— Irvine, Calif.
Tomorrow in Los Angeles, the United States plays Türkiye with lower stakes than once expected, but the chance to make more history is on the line.
Playing in their first World Cup since 2002, The Crescent-Stars (who lost to the Dutch as Euro ‘24 quarter-finalists) have underperformed expectations and are already eliminated. After their first back-to-back wins in a World Cup group, a soaring USMNT has already clinched first place in Group D and are through to the knockouts ahead of schedule.
Despite the diminished group-place implications, in a tournament where momentum is key, there’s still plenty to play for.
For Türkiye: pride. For the USMNT: avoiding injury, side-stepping more cautions (four essential starters are on yellow cards), getting more minutes to key substitutes, and most important of all, keeping the groundswell of two impressive wins and an excited host nation behind them. With a third-straight win in Group D, they’d make history as the first USMNT to win all three games in their group, and set a new program record for most-ever wins in a World Cup.
Speaking to the press Tuesday morning, Max Arfsten was asked to ponder the merits of playing with caution, resting key players, or going all out for the victory and responded, “It’s a tough question. Good thing I’m not a coach.”
The left back continued, “Honestly, I think the most important thing is, no matter who’s playing, to go out and try and get three points. Just because I think the momentum of the two wins is what’s keeping the energy high right now.”
This morning in Irvine, Christian Pulisic echoed the sentiment: “I think when you win your last game, you go into the next one, with just that little bit of extra… Just a good feeling, that winning mentality feeling, is just, it sticks with you.” He continued, “You want it for sure going into the knockout rounds. We’ll definitely feel better with a win. So that’s why we’re going to push for it.”
You may have heard: Pulisic is back in training. Speaking from Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine, he confirmed that he, “took a big kick to the calf a couple days before the game” against Paraguay, and that: “Throughout the first half, I felt good, and then I started to notice it a little bit. I think adrenaline definitely carried me through. I just think I had a pretty strong contusion, strain, whatever you want to call it.”
After departing at the half in their first match, the team’s most notable star wasn’t on the field at the start of their training sessions until this Monday, and didn’t play in their 2-0 win against Australia. While some have called for Pulisic to get more rest ahead of the knockouts, he seems eager to play a role and though he may not go for 90 minutes, it would be wise to get him in.
Pulisic: “I’m feeling good, positive going into it, and hopefully I’ll be able to play a part in tomorrow.”
The United States came out swinging in Seattle but the Socceroos didn’t go down without a fight (the second half arguably was one) and by the time we were singing Country Roads, we had four key starters sitting on yellows.
In short, if Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards or Antonee Robinson get a yellow playing against Türkiye, they would be suspended for their July 1 game in Santa Clara, unable to contribute in the Round of 32. (All of their cards are wiped from record after the group stage, their slate clean for the next phase. Yellow cards then begin accruing again but are reset after the quarterfinals). Any single one of those players being absent in a must-win knockout game would be a massive mishap.
Chris Richards noted today that the team doesn’t find out who starts each game until just before: “We don’t get the lineup until right before the game, so in the whole week you’re training, trying to earn your spot for the game.”
On his expectations of being rested, the center back noted: “I want to play every game. I’ll play every minute of every game. But I understand that things can happen, some things are out of my control. I don’t know what tomorrow’s gonna look like when it comes to lineup, but I know if I am playing, I’ll do my very, very best not to get a yellow.” He added, “Ultimately I’m not sure if he’s gonna risk us guys who are on yellows. So yeah, it’s a tough, tough dynamic right now.”
At today’s press conference, Pochettino confirmed all four players would be rested, leaving space for at least four new starters to take the field tomorrow (with Pulisic’s absence in Seattle, 12 players have earned starts). Rotating those players or limiting their minutes would also allow key players (including those already making an impact from the bench, or the six on field players that haven’t appeared yet) to build their own momentum ahead of a knockout phase when they might be called on to step up. All but Roldan (one of the six yet to see minutes) have been in training this week.
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