The U.S. can shrug off its last-gasp loss to Turkey. Now the stakes go up.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The U.S. men’s national team entered Thursday’s match without any stress.
With a place in the World Cup’s knockout round already secured as group winners, the only suspense hinged on whether star Christian Pulisic would return from a calf injury suffered in the opening game.
So the 3-2 loss to Turkey, decided by a scrappy goal in the final minute of stoppage time, marked the last moment in this tournament in which the U.S. could relax.
Now the team enters the do-or-die knockouts that will determine whether its hot start on home turf will be sustained, or remembered as a two-week outlier that fueled fleeting excitement.
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The U.S. will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 on July 1 in Santa Clara, California. The Bosnians finished third in Group B, behind Canada and Switzerland.
“We’ll be ready,” said Sebastian Berhalter, whose strike in the 49th minute looked as though it had secured a tie until Turkey’s Kaan Ayhan fired between goalkeeper Matt Turner’s legs in the 98th minute.
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