Turkey won their first World Cup match against hosts the United States. Even with the score 3-2, oss USA qualified for the next stage at the top of Group D and must face Bosnia in the round of 16 stageon the 1st, at 9pm. Turkey was already eliminated. The match took place at SoFi Stadium, in Los Angeles, United States.
With classification already guaranteed, with two victories, one of which was a 4-1 defeat in Paraguay, Mauricio Pochettino’s team came as favorites and, with an alternative lineup, resting names like Christian Pulišić, who was returning from injury, and Folarin Balogun, one of the team’s greatest offensive weapons, the Argentine coach was thinking about the next phase.
Turkey had already had two defeatsalready eliminated from the World Cup, with a performance well below expectations. More was expected from those called up by Vincenzo Montella, as they included names like Arda Güler, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Kenan Yıldız and Barış Alper Yılmaz.
The United States tried to confirm favoritism early on. They opened the scoring with Auston Trusty after a corner that was generated by himself. Turkey, however, responded soon after, with a beautiful play between Yilmaz and Guler, who scored the team’s first goal in the World Cup.
Later, with 30 of the first half, the Türkiye made a beautiful triangulation on the left from the field that ended with a finish from midfielder Orkun Kökçü to turn the game around. The feeling that remained was “now it’s too late”. Perhaps the Turks can use this game as a demonstration that they have potential for the next cycle.
Returning to the second stage, the USA quickly managed to tie the matchwith Sebastian Berhalter finishing a ball from outside the box that went through a sea of legs before going into the goal. After that, the game was lukewarm, even with the Pulišić entrywho tried to set the match on fire, but had little success.
However, at the very end, in the last move, Turkey showed the power that everyone expected from it. Arda Guler gives a sensational pen in Pulisic, and the play leads to a goal by Kaan Ayhan to give Turkey the first points. The feeling that remained was “now it’s too late”. Perhaps the Turks can use this game as a demonstration that they have potential for the next cycle.
Now it’s too late
The US didn’t even give Turkey time to breathe. Two minutes into the game, after a corner taken by Sebastian Berhalter, the ball traveled across the entire small area and found full-back Auston Trusty alone on the other side, to finish with the left leg and open the score.
Pochettino’s practically reserve team, however, had its shortcomings. Yilmaz tabled with Guler, who came out alone inside the area and finished from close range, without giving Matt Turner a chance to save.
After the hydration break, the Turkish team once again made a good move with an exchange of passes between Yıldız and Guler. The Real Madrid player stuck the ball into Eren Elmalı, who found it Orkun Kökçü in the small area to turn the match around. The Turks’ quick passing was very dangerous. It’s a shame that the team, full of talent, was unable to reproduce this performance in the other two clashes.
Glory in the end
Coming back from the break, the home team didn’t want to do anything bad. After a tangle in the defense, the ball fell to Berhalter to finish from outside the area and tie the match, with less than five minutes of play.
Christian Pulisicthe great star of the American team, entered just over ten minutes into the second half.
The impact of shirt 10 is clear. Receiving a throw off the back of full-back Oğuz Aydın, he finished, but stopped at goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır, and striker Brenden Aaronson missed a goal scored by catching the rebound. It was the chance to return to the lead on the scoreboard, and this would later take its toll on the Americans.
Before the end of the match, the scorer of the first American goal, Trusty, turned his foot and scared the American coaching staff, but returned to the match calmly.
In the last play of the match, after a disconcerting pen by Arda Guler in Pulisicthe play continued for a throw into the area that found Can Uzun, who provided the assist for Kaan Ayhan to win the victory.
