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The United States Men's National Team fell to Turkey in their final group-stage fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but coach Mauricio Pochettino treated the defeat as the roster-management exercise it was designed to be.
The Americans had already clinched their group heading into the match — the first time in program history, since the group-stage format was introduced, that the United States secured top spot before the final match day — leaving nothing meaningful in the standings at stake.
The USMNT advance to the round of 32, where they face Bosnia and Herzegovina. A Rotation Game by Design Pochettino's lineup made the intent plain from kickoff.
Multiple players appeared in a World Cup fixture for the first time this tournament, and several regulars sat out either to rest or to protect themselves from yellow-card accumulation that would carry into the knockout rounds.
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