Türkiye end FIFA World Cup campaign with thrilling win over USA

Türkiye finished their FIFA World Cup campaign on a positive note after securing a thrilling 3-2 victory over Group D leaders the United States in Los Angeles. Although Türkiye had already been eliminated from the tournament, they showed strong determination against a US side that had already confirmed top spot. American coach Mauricio Pochettino made major changes to his lineup, bringing in nine different players from the team that defeated Australia to qualify. The rotation gave several reserve players an opportunity to shine, and the US took an early lead after just three minutes. Auston Trusty reacted quickly to a deep corner from Sebastian Berhalter, controlling the ball before firing a powerful left-footed strike into the net. However, Türkiye responded immediately and levelled the score seven minutes later. Arda Güler combined effectively with Barış Yılmaz before breaking through the US defence and calmly finishing to become Türkiye’s youngest World Cup goalscorer. The American defence continued to struggle, and Türkiye took control before half-time. Eren Elmalı provided the assist for Barış Yılmaz, who converted the chance to put his side ahead and stun the home supporters. The USA returned from the break with renewed energy and equalised early in the second half. Sebastian Berhalter, who had already contributed an assist, scored a powerful long-range goal to bring the match back to 2-2. Pochettino then turned to some of his key players, including Christian Pulisic, in search of a winning goal. Despite increased pressure from the US, Türkiye secured victory in dramatic fashion when Kaan Ayhan scored deep into stoppage time to seal a memorable 3-2 win.