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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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United States Men's National Team head coach Mauricio Pochettino took exception to the tone of reporters' questions after his team's 3-2 loss to Turkiye on Thursday night.
"It cannot be possible that Turkey celebrates three points, Australia celebrates getting through, Paraguay celebrates getting through … for you to not say congratulations for winning the group, it’s a little bit sad," Pochettino said at his post-match media session.
Thursday's match featured many USMNT reserves on the pitch rather than the team's key players, who were resting or avoiding cards ahead of the team's Round of 32 matchup. Notably, Christian Pulisic made his return in the second half after missing the Australia game with an injury.
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The USMNT scored earlier to take the lead, thanks to Auston Trusty's first-ever World Cup goal three minutes into the matchup. However, Turkiye's Arda Guler found the net just seven minutes later to tie things up.
More news: Bosnian Player Gives USMNT Bulletin Board Material for World Cup Matchup
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Turkiye would score a second goal at the 31-minute mark courtesy of Baris Alper Yilmaz, causing concern as it was the first time the USMNT trailed during this latest World Cup. The USMNT came out inspired in the second half, tying things up just four minutes in on Sebastian Berhalter's goal.
It appeared as if a draw might be the result, which wouldn't be the worst case. Unfortunately, the worst case occurred when Turkiye's Kaan Ayhan found the net within the final minutes of stoppage time, giving his team a 3-2 World Cup win before heading home.
Pochettino also spoke with Fox Sports' Jenny Taft after the match, saying he was satisfied with the team's overall performance but not with the way they lost, conceding the goal at the end.
The match was insignificant from a qualification standpoint, as the USMNT already knew they were in the Knockout Phase. They also won Group D after their first two impressive victories over Paraguay and Australia.
This sort of loss was more of a momentum shifter, as it would have been ideal for the USMNT to move forward with a third-straight win. That said, they should have all their key personnel back on the field for the next game, including two-goal scorer Folarin Balogun and returning Christian Pulisic.
The USMNT faces Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday, July 1, at 8 pm ET.
More news: Cristiano Ronaldo Replaces USMNT Star on Zlatan Ibrahamovic’s World Cup List
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