During his nearly 40-minute World Cup comeback, Christian Pulisic delivered one of the standout individual performances on the field.
The American skipper came on with the score tied at two against Turkey, but he couldn't guide his team to victory. A late strike from Kaan Ayhan , created by a brilliant piece of magic from Arda Guler , proved decisive in Turkey's 3-2 victory.
Pulisic's mere appearance on the pitch following battles with a persistent calf problem picked up in training — aggravated during the USMNT 's opening 4-1 victory over Paraguay — energized the crowd at Los Angeles Stadium. He threatened on several occasions, particularly with a fine left-footed effort from distance.
World Cup participants aren't required to engage with media in the mixed zone following matches. Pulisic, seemingly frustrated by the loss, bypassed the assembled journalists and made his way directly to the team bus as public relations staff blocked reporters. The AC Milan attacker registered three attempts, struck the woodwork, and recorded 0.62 xG.
He completed all 12 of his passes, logged 10 successful, and drew three fouls from the aggressive Turkish backline. Pulisic has scored just once in his World Cup career, though it was a crucial goal: the lone tally in a 1-0 triumph over Iran at the 2022 competition that sealed the team's progression to the knockout stage.
Pochettino rotated nine players from last Friday's 2-0 victory over Australia , keeping only makeshift captain Weston McKennie — possibly solely because of Christian Roldan's unavailability — and Ricardo Pepi , filling in for Pulisic. The four players carrying yellow cards — Chris Richards , Tyler Adams , Antonee Robinson , and Folarin Balogun — were left out of the squad.
Another booking would have triggered their suspension for next Wednesday's Round of 32 clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Pochettino acknowledged feeling "confused" by the seemingly downbeat mood among reporters following the outcome, noting that his squad had achieved its pre-World Cup objectives.
"I'm happy. Maybe I'm not showing because your questions are a little bit weird," he said in his press conference. "I'm confused, maybe the vibes are like we go home tonight and Turkiye stays [in the World Cup], no?"
Pochettino then highlighted the squad's achievements, switching between Spanish and English. "At the moment, no one congratulated us for finishing first in our group," he said to reporters. "I congratulate the players, the staff, and the fans on finishing first in a very difficult group.
"We ended up being No. 1, and we managed all the pressure and the expectations quite well. We had other priorities. We wanted to win. We did want the victory, but there are other things we needed to balance out, and that's how I made the decisions."
