US players insist momentum remains with them despite late loss to Turkey

The US were on the verge of an encouraging draw in a meaningless game, but they insist that losing to Turkey changes nothing about what’s to come

>Throughout the week preceding the United States’ final group game, the matchup with Turkey was discussed as something of a formality. The new World Cup format made it impossible to begin speculation on a possible opponent until the third wave of matches kicked off on Wednesday, but the co-hosts’ place in the round of 32 was already secure.

>There were ample questions about how much Mauricio Pochettino would (and should) rotate. Christian Pulisic’s every movement, including whether or not he was donning a sleeve on his calf, was closely scrutinized. The atmosphere around training was light and jovial, a rare “eye of the hurricane” moment where the intensity seemed to wane and positivity permeated every corner of the team’s camp in Irvine.

>So in theory, the only potential setbacks would be injuries. But while the US did have an element of that (Auston Trusty’s rolled left ankle, which he said afterward had already been treated), there was still that last-second goal. And there was still a loss where there could have been a comeback draw.

>Rather than dwell on the dead-rubber defeat, Trusty and his teammates projected confidence that the good vibes from wins over Paraguay and Australia weren’t totally exhumed on Thursday.

>“We were overwhelmingly positive,” Trusty said of the team’s morale. “Obviously, going into this game, they really had nothing to play for. Guys got minutes to prove themselves and show their ability, and that’s what we did. And I think we played well. We had a lot of chances that didn’t go our way, and then to lose with the last second goal was just unfortunate.”

>The US, like almost every national team save for the top five or so programs, sees a sharp dip in executing its strategy the more it has to rotate. The revamped tournament wipes yellow card tallies after the group stage, immediately precluding the involvement of four players for the US who drew cautions in the first two games. Unfortunately, those four are easily among the most important individuals on the team: lead defender Chris Richards, left-back Antonee Robinson, chief goalscorer Folarin Balogun, and midfield anchor Tyler Adams.

>A day before the match, Pochettino confirmed that none of his cautioned quartet would see the field to avoid tempting fate. Pulisic was bound to be a second-half inclusion after missing the Australia match with a calf injury. That left a lot of room for players who hadn’t started the first two games to get their looks, including Sebastian Berhalter, who earned a start after being the first player summoned from the bench against Paraguay and Australia. To him, getting nearly every other player’s tournament (save for Max Arfsten) debut out of the way before the stakes resumed was an invaluable reward for clinching the group early.

>“We know everyone’s ready to step up at any given moment,” Berhalter said. “I think you saw that today. I think we let some moments get away from us, but I thought the performances overall were good. Some guys hadn’t played a minute, and they stepped up and did great.”

>Jonathan Wilson and Guardian journalists bring expert analysis and reporting on the biggest stories in soccer.

>Berhalter was arguably the standout on the night, especially in the final third. The Vancouver midfielder opened the scoring with a well-placed corner kick over the scrum and right to Trusty, who opened his international goalscoring account in style. Berhalter then leveled things at two apiece in the second half, running onto a ball headed his way and sending it beyond Uğurcan Çakır.

>That could have been the US’s moment of the match. But then … that late winner.

>“It doesn’t [hurt momentum],” Berhalter said of the result. “I think you saw the second half, how we came out, and I think we deserved more. I think one moment, we slipped in the last second of the game. We’re proud of the performance we put in.”

>“It’s not gonna be perfect,” Adams said. “No tournament is perfect. You live and you learn. I think a lot of the guys will take lessons from that game.”

>Now, focus returns in full to the knockout stage. Just before kicking off, results confirmed that Bosnia and Herzegovina will be the US’s first foe in the bracket, having finished third in Group A after drawing Canada and beating Qatar. They’ll no doubt be fearless, having famously outlasted Italy to reach the World Cup in a shootout.

>That famous match, however, was played in Zenica. Next Wednesday’s knockout game will be far from familiar territory, as both teams head to the Bay Area with a spot in the round of 16 up for grabs. Having now experienced defeat at this World Cup, players who had started the first two games will be eager to show that the Turkey game was an aberration rather than a return to earth.

>“Teams can punish you, teams can hurt you,” Tim Ream said. “It’s one of those things. You’ll be disappointed with the loss, but the sun rises tomorrow. We’re in the round of 32 and we have a new team to focus on.”