IRVINE, Calif. — As the U.S. men’s national team prepares for its concluding match in the group stage, they find themselves in an envious and historically unfamiliar position at the World Cup: the outcome is inconsequential.
However, riding high on the energy of two victorious matches that have already secured their place in the next round, there’s a desire to maintain momentum. Securing a victory against Turkey would serve as a notable achievement for Mauricio Pochettino’s squad, especially since the U.S. has not triumphed over a European team since their friendly win against Bosnia in 2021.
Turkey arrives at this match looking to salvage some pride after a disappointing exit, having failed to find the net despite taking more than 60 shots in their prior games. Similarly, the U.S. team isn’t under pressure, as their spot in the round of 32 — where they might face Bosnia once again — is already determined. This match will take place in Santa Clara on July 1.
This situation allows for strategic maneuvering from Pochettino, who is likely to rotate his squad heavily. With Christian Pulisic’s availability in doubt due to a calf injury and four players sitting precariously on yellow cards, caution is key.
Although single yellow cards reset after the group stage, another caution could lead to a suspension for the round of 32. This tactical foresight suggests that risking Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, or Folarin Balogun — crucial contributors for the knockout matches — is unnecessary for what essentially amounts to an exhibition match.
“You’re asking the wrong guy, man,” Adams said when asked about the situation. “I want to play every game.”
Adams, who picked up his yellow against Paraguay, did get through the 2-0 win over Australia without a second. But given his role defending counterattacks and getting stuck in defensively, he’s arguably the most at-risk player to pick up a card on any given day.
“At moments when I want to do something stupid, I try to tame myself a little bit,” Adams said Friday of his mindset. “When things [got] physical today, I was kinda the peacemaker today, to be honest with you. I didn’t get in any scraps or do anything too dumb. You think about it, but at the same time, I’m not taking away my aggressiveness. That’s also what makes me a good player.”
The situation with Pulisic, whose injury has taken a backseat in the discourse since Friday, is the most interesting.
If he is available to play — and though the noise about that has been optimistic, it was also optimistic he’d play against Australia, before it wasn’t — there’s a fair argument he should get some minutes under his belt. Nineteen days between the Paraguay game and the round of 32 would be a long enough layoff that it’s something for Pochettino to consider.
If Pulisic is at any risk of aggravating the injury, or would need to play through it, then of course there’s little reason to indulge that risk.
Though rotating the entire starting 11 might be a step too far — Pochettino would want to keep some continuity after all — this could be a moment for players like Cristian Roldan, Tim Weah, Alex Zendejas or Mark McKenzie to get into a game. Gio Reyna and Sebastian Berhalter, who have come on as subs in the first two games, could be candidates for an extended look as well.
“It’s too early to talk about our decision against Turkey,” Pochettino said after the game, a few hours before the U.S. officially clinched its group. “I cannot anticipate nothing [about] what we are going to do. … But we are 28 players training, 26 on the [roster], and all the players have the capacity to play and they are qualified to play.”