A last-second goal ends the World Cup honeymoon for Mauricio Pochettino and the USA. Now the real work begins

Inglewood, California — 

Mauricio Pochettino stated he was glad. He stated it in English, he stated it in his native Spanish. He swore he was glad.

He didn’t sound glad. And actually, there wasn’t a lot of a motive to be.

A little greater than an hour earlier than his post-match press convention in the bowels of SoFi Stadium, Pochettino watched his USA crew hand over a last-second goal to Turkey that ensured a 3-2 defeat on this closing match of the group stage. A weakened US aspect – 9 adjustments had been constituted of the crew that confronted Australia final week in Seattle – had scored rapidly, gave up two first-half objectives and then equalized in a powerful second half.

But a goal from Kaan Ayhan, scored with the final kick of the recreation, handed the US its first defeat after two dominant victories to open the event. And with it, he might have ended the honeymoon for this USA crew.

Pochettino’s surly temper after the recreation – dismissing questions on momentum, chastising American journalists for not congratulating him for profitable Group D – was a marked change from the gregarious determine who sat in the identical chair slightly greater than 24 hours earlier than. The query now could be if that temper was indicative of the vibes round this US crew altering forward of the knockout phases now that the bubble of invincibility has been popped.

“I think it’s all positive, and I am so positive, and I am happy,” Pochettino stated in reply to a query about whether or not the US might have misplaced momentum. “Maybe I’m not displaying (it) as a result of your questions are slightly bit bizarre, however I’m so glad, and the gamers are glad as a result of I feel we carry out, we compete, and we’re first.

“I was talking with the Turkish channel now, as I said, ‘Have a good trip back to Turkey,’ and we are going on. But I think now when I arrive here (in the press conference) – maybe I am confused – but maybe the mood is like we go home tonight and Turkey stay.”

Pochettino is, after all, proper on some crucial factors. By profitable its first two video games of this World Cup, the USA locked up the high spot in Group D and has a Round of 32 matchup towards Bosnia and Herzegovina set for July 1 in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s precisely what this crew would have hoped for when the event began and provides them a positive path for a deep event run.

His lineup on Thursday, which consisted of eight gamers making their first World Cup begins, confirmed off the depth of his crew as key gamers like Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson had been capable of relaxation and keep away from doable suspension for the recreation towards the Zmajevi. Despite the multitude of adjustments, the Americans began the recreation effectively with a gap goal in the third minute and then fought again to tie the match in the second half after Turkey lastly received on the rating sheet.

And Christian Pulisic returned to motion and seemed like his game-changing finest, approaching in the 58th minute and rapidly offering scores of possibilities as the US took the recreation to the Turks. A loss is finally a harsh consequence on the Americans after the means they recovered in the second half, wanting like the extra doubtless aspect to attain till the recreation reached the closing minutes.

“We are much better (now) than before that game because we are players now with 90 minutes in the legs and performing, and I think ready to help if we need from the beginning or after from the bench,” Pochettino stated.

Still, Pochettino’s tone indicated he was nonetheless aggravated to have misplaced. The means the loss happened must be elevating alarm bells inside the US camp.

Before the event started, it was no secret that the USA’s defending was suspect. While the Stars and Stripes can go ahead at opposing objectives with aptitude and intent, the backline has been recognized to surrender objectives. The shutout towards Australia was the first time they’d saved a clear sheet since a pleasant towards Japan almost a yr earlier than.

With the video games now having the sort of stakes that Thursday’s contest lacked, that leaky protection – particularly in crunch time towards the finish of matches – is the doable Achilles heel for this crew.

The Turks put the US beneath stress for a lot of the first half and once more in these closing minutes, taking part in with the desperation of a crew that didn’t wish to depart this World Cup with out getting no less than one consequence. When the Bosnians take the pitch in Santa Clara in rather less than every week, they’ll doubtless convey that very same verve as they play of their nation’s first World Cup knockout recreation.

At occasions on Thursday, the US struggled to deal with that stress. The Americans are used to being the crew that brings the recreation to their opponent, not being the squad that’s absorbing and repelling assaults.

But when confronted with their first real setback of this event, the US responded positively. The introduction of Pulisic in the second half may also be a reassuring takeaway from this contest as the AC Milan man seemed prone to rating from the second he entered the fray and was the finest a part of what the US did after Sebastian Berhalter’s strike drew the Americans degree.

“I think it was important to for him to get the feelings I seen again after not to be able to available for Australia,” Pochettino stated. “One of the objectives in that game, not only was to win, (it was) to provide Christian in between 30 and 40 minutes to get the feeling to be ready for the next game, that is important too.”

The loss to Turkey doesn’t imply all that a lot in what the US has to do going ahead. The squad knew who its subsequent opponent could be, when it could be taking part in and the place it was going subsequent. Any worries about complacency had been wiped away in the third minute when Auston Trusty fired dwelling the opening goal and precipitated the stands at SoFi Stadium to shake (actually) with the noise and leaping followers.

Sure, it was a beginning lineup of gamers who’re normally backups or influence subs. Sure, the consequence has no impact on the Americans’ path towards a deep run in the event. Sure, plenty of the errors or poor moments in protection could be waved away by recognizing that the majority of the crew’s finest defenders had been sitting on the bench when the Turks wheeled away in delight with Ayhan’s goal.

But outcomes don’t occur in a vacuum. American soccer followers had been shocked at the means this US crew seemed in its opening two video games, discovering themselves believing {that a} nation that has gained one knockout recreation in the World Cup in its historical past might have the squad to make a run far into July.

It felt like a brand new day was dawning in US males’s soccer. And the second Ayhan’s goal hit the again of the internet felt like a reminder of gut-punch defeats previous from groups that didn’t fairly have what it took.

Time will inform if this crew is totally different. The time to show it is available in 5 days at Levi’s Stadium.