The U.S. men's national team surrendered a stoppage-time goal to Turkey and lost 3-2 in a World Cup group-stage finale that meant absolutely nothing — a fitting snapshot of a nation fixated on spectacle while the stakes that matter go unattended.
The USMNT had already clinched first place in Group D before a single ball was kicked Thursday night at SoFi Stadium. Turkey was already eliminated. Four American starters — Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards, and Antonee Robinson — were held out of the lineup to avoid yellow-card suspensions in the knockout round, according to Fox Sports. The match was competitive in name only. And the home side still found a way to lose it.
Substitute Kaan Ayhan poked home the winner in the eighth minute of stoppage time — "literally the last kick of the game," as USA Today described it. The U.S. had taken an early lead through Auston Trusty in the third minute, conceded twice before halftime to Arda Guler and Orkun Kokcu, then equalized through Sebastian Berhalter's second-half strike. None of it changed the standings.
Yahoo Sports called it a "crushing end to a mostly celebratory night." The New York Times' Athletic section framed the match as a "pleasantly unexpected quandary." USA Today acknowledged the result was "academic." The framing gap tells you everything: the globalist sports press wants you to feel the sting of a loss that didn't count, because feeling something about soccer is more important than noticing what's actually slipping away from the country these players represent.
Star forward Christian Pulisic entered in the 58th minute to a roaring ovation after missing the Australia match with a calf injury. He nearly scored the go-ahead goal multiple times, hitting the post once and forcing a save on another chance. The crowd at SoFi roared for a man kicking a ball while the nation he represents drowns in debt it can't explain and borders it can't secure.
The U.S. will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on July 1 in Santa Clara. The tournament continues. The bread and circuses continue.
Midfielder Brenden Aaronson told Yahoo Sports the team is "full of confidence" despite the loss. "I'm not worried about it," he said. It's the kind of thing you say when nothing was on the line — and the kind of thing a whole country has started saying about problems that are.
