U.S. Men’s National Team Announces Rotated Lineup for Final Group Stage Match Against Turkey

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – U.S. men’s national team head coach intends to field a rotated starting lineup for Thursday’s World Cup game against Turkey, the Group D finale, which is effectively a dead‑rubber after the team already topped the group and their opponents had already been mathematically eliminated.

Pochettino’s choice was largely driven by the fact that four players — defenders Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson, midfielder Tyler Adams, and forward Folarin Balogun — have accumulated yellow cards heading into Thursday’s match at SoFi Stadium. A further booking would suspend them for the USMNT‘s round‑of‑32 match on July 1 against a yet‑to‑be‑determined opponent.

“It’s a straightforward decision for the players who have yellow cards,” Pochettino said during his pre‑match press conference on Wednesday. “It would be unnecessary to take a risk and then accumulate another booking, leaving them unavailable for the next stage. In my view, that is a normal and easy solution — simply not to start them from the outset.”

Fitness concerns remain for two other players, forward Christian Pulisic and midfielder Cristian Roldan. Pulisic declared himself fit on Wednesday and has completed three days of training this week. He resumed training after a calf injury forced his halftime substitution in a 4‑1 victory over Paraguay on June 12, which also ruled him out of Friday’s 2‑0 win against Australia. Roldan, meanwhile, is coping with a muscle strain described as day‑to‑day. He has not trained all week, and Pochettino indicated further consultation with medical staff is needed before determining his involvement against Turkey.

“Cristian Roldan, we need to assess tomorrow if he can be available,” Pochettino said. “He has a minor quad issue that is improving, and while we hope he will be fit for tomorrow, it may be for the following week. Christian Pulisic is now in discussions with the medical staff; he is available, and we will decide whether he can play the full match or be utilized as a substitute, perhaps featuring in the second half.”

Pochettino’s choices leave several positions up for contention on Thursday, providing players with a chance to stake their claim for starting roles in the knockout phase. It also gives the coach an opportunity to conduct one final experiment after nearly two years of tweaking personnel and tactics. This is especially pertinent in midfield, where Adams anchors the U.S. midfield and the team has struggled without him in the build‑up to the World Cup. There is no clear backup, and the scenario shifts if Roldan remains unavailable. Nevertheless, Pochettino maintains he has a range of viable options.

“When discussing midfielders, it seemed essential to field a holding defensive midfielder,” Pochettino said. “However, teams like Spain do not rely on a traditional defensive midfielder; they deploy highly capable midfielders who understand the game. For us, balance is key, and we have players who can operate as deep‑lying midfielders and progress the ball. The most important factor is philosophy and ideas. To pass and dominate opponents, we need players who can operate in space and grasp the nuances of the game, rather than merely adhering to positional roles.”

“We have plenty of options such as Gio Reyna, Weston McKennie, Sebastian Berhalter, or Malik Tillman,” Pochettino noted. “Even defenders like Sergino Dest, Joe Scally, or Auston Trusty could play central roles. In certain phases of our build‑up, these players can occupy central positions and demonstrate strong understanding of positional play and their responsibilities. I believe we are well‑equipped and this will not be an issue.

Berhalter appears most likely to receive a starting nod in midfield, while forward Ricardo Pepi is poised for a second consecutive start after a successful appearance in Pulisic’s absence against Australia. Defender Max Arfsten is the probable replacement for Robinson, and Pochettino is weighing several possibilities for Richards’ role. Mark McKenzie began alongside Tim Ream and Alex Freeman in their final pre‑World Cup friendly, a 3‑2 win over Senegal; Miles Robinson subsequently filled in during the following match, a 2‑1 loss to Germany.

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