US Soccer Team's World Cup Struggles Against Turkey

The United States walked away from this World Cup meeting with Turkey with more questions than answers, despite a pair of eye-catching moments from an unlikely source in midfield.

Mauricio Pochettino shuffled his pack and handed a surprise start to Matt Turner in goal, but the experiment backfired on the scoreboard. Turner faced three efforts on target and was beaten by all three, his afternoon a harsh reminder of why Matt Freese has edged ahead in the goalkeeping conversation. Turner did at least show sharp instincts off his line with a couple of timely sweeper interventions, and he now joins the small club of American goalkeepers to start multiple World Cups. The number on the stat sheet, though, will not help his case. Rating: 4.

On the right, Joe Scally offered a very different profile to Sergiño Dest or Alex Freeman. More conservative, less adventurous. The problem was that even in that safer role, he struggled to keep pace with the rhythm of the match. Turkey’s second goal exposed him badly: dragged out of position once, then again, as the move developed. When he did get forward, his crossing lacked menace, too often failing to find dangerous areas. Rating: 5.

At center-back, Mark McKenzie never quite imposed himself. Turkey sliced through him too easily for their opener, and his long passing rarely found its intended target. He did think he had made amends with a classic poacher’s finish from a corner, only for the flag to go up for offside. In open play he helped funnel possession into midfield, but the full-backs ended up carrying more of the burden for progression. Rating: 5.

Alongside him, Miles Robinson endured a jittery opening spell. Every time the ball drifted into his zone in the first 20 minutes, he looked a touch unready, almost half a beat behind the play. Once he settled, he steadied the line, but the numbers tell their own story: he led the team in phases lost, both through wayward passing and hesitation on the ball. Rating: 5.

Auston Trusty, pushed again into a full-back/wing-back role that still doesn’t quite fit him, found a way to bend the game to his strengths. From a set piece, he attacked the delivery with conviction and powered home the opening goal, a classic center-back header from a corner. In open play he stood out as a reliable outlet, offering passing angles and working hard to recover and blunt Turkey’s threat down their right. His afternoon ended on a sour note, though, as he limped off with what looked like a left ankle injury. Rating: 7.

If there was a genuine bright spot, it came in the form of Sebastian Berhalter. This was a performance that justified his place in the squad and then some. Defensively he had shaky moments that won’t make any highlight package, but with the ball he changed the tone of the game. His dead-ball delivery set up Trusty’s opener, a reminder of the set-piece quality that helped him catch Pochettino’s eye. Then came his own goal, lashed in from the edge of the area, another entry in what is becoming a signature catalogue of long-range finishes. On top of that, he was comfortably the side’s most progressive passer, constantly looking to punch the ball forward rather than play safe. Rating: 8.

Weston McKennie, wearing the armband with Cristian Roldan sidelined, delivered a measured rather than manic display. The usual whirlwind of activity was dialed down, but he remained a central emotional reference point whenever the contest turned scrappy. He kept urging, cajoling, demanding more. In front of goal he managed a handful of efforts, though only one troubled the keeper. Rating: 7.

Gio Reyna’s outing underlined how rarely he now plays extended minutes. His touch and vision remain obvious; he roamed intelligently, offering himself as a passing option and knitting together short combinations. Yet when the game cried out for line-breaking passes, he often chose to recycle possession instead. Even so, he still produced the second-highest number of box-entry passes for the U.S., behind only Berhalter. The talent is there, the sharpness less so. Rating: 5.

Tim Weah, shifted once again to his weaker side, found himself at the heart of one of Pochettino’s more curious tactical ideas. The coach has pointed to Weah’s “dominant eye” as justification for using him inverted off the left. On this evidence, even the most recessive fan eye could see the drawbacks. Passes went astray, first touches escaped him, and his dribbling lacked its usual conviction. For such an experienced figure in this group, it was an unusually ragged display. Rating: 5.

On the opposite flank, Brenden Aaronson delivered the kind of shift that has become his calling card. Endless running, constant pressing, relentless attempts to stretch the field to the right. The work rate was there; the decisive touch was not. His big moment arrived with an unobstructed sight of an open net, and he failed to convert. In a first World Cup start, that miss will sting. Rating: 5.

Up front, Ricardo Pepi toiled without reward. His movement dragged Turkey’s center-backs into deeper areas, creating pockets for teammates, but he rarely saw the ball where a No. 9 wants it most. Touches in the box were scarce, and when the chance finally came, his lone shot flew off target. With a hefty price tag and Premier League expectations hanging over him, Fulham supporters watching on would have expected a sharper edge. Rating: 5.

The U.S. left with a couple of spectacular strikes and a handful of individual subplots, yet the larger picture remains blurred: is this a team edging toward a coherent identity, or one still searching for the right pieces in the wrong places?