By Rory Carroll
LOS ANGELES, June 23 (Reuters) – The United States will look to maintain their momentum and protect several key players from suspension when they face already-eliminated Turkey in their final World Cup Group D match at Los Angeles Stadium on Thursday.
The Americans secured top spot with back-to-back wins to open their campaign, including a 2-0 victory over Australia in Seattle on Friday that ended with a sold-out crowd serenading the team with John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”
The mood was far different later that day in Santa Clara, where Turkey’s hopes were extinguished with a 1-0 defeat by Paraguay, their second straight scoreless outing in a tournament marked by the side’s wasteful finishing.
Although the match is effectively a dead rubber, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino still has decisions to make, with forward Folarin Balogun, midfielder Tyler Adams and defenders Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson all carrying yellow cards.
Any player booked twice during the three group-stage matches is suspended for the next game, meaning Pochettino is likely to rest or limit the minutes of the quartet before the U.S. begin the knockout stage on July 1 in Santa Clara.
PLAY PULISIC?
That could open the door for fringe players to press their case, while also giving Pochettino a chance to manage the fitness of talisman Christian Pulisic.
The forward has not played since coming off at halftime in the opener against Paraguay with a left calf injury, although he returned to full team training this week.
Pochettino started Ricardo Pepi in his place against Australia and must now decide whether to give Pulisic minutes against Turkey or hold him back as a precaution.
The U.S. players said on Tuesday they were determined not to let their standards slip.
“You don’t want to go into a knockout round having a bad feeling about how the last game went,” winger Max Arfsten said.
“So although we have advanced, I don’t think it changes anything in terms of preparation or mentality. It’s very important to try and continue to ride the wave of good performance.”
The Americans have previous experience of being punished in such circumstances. At the 2002 World Cup, with a place in the knockout stage secured, the U.S. were beaten 3-1 by already-eliminated Poland in their final group match.
Turkey, making their first World Cup appearance in 24 years, will be desperate to avoid going home without a win or even a goal.
For a team that arrived with high expectations, victory over the co-hosts would not salvage their campaign but would at least soften the blow of an early exit.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles, Editing by Ken Ferris)
Comments