On the face of things, the USMNT’s final Group D game against Türkiye is a dead rubber, which nobody would have anticipated at the start of the 2026 World Cup. Mauricio Pochettino’s team have already qualified for the round of 32, while the Turks, to the surprise of most, have already booked their flights home. They will, however, go into Thursday’s game in Los Angeles with a point to prove, and with motivations that extend beyond simply ending their World Cup campaign on a high.

Although they only qualified for the World Cup via the UEFA playoffs, Türkiye were tipped by many as dark horses to go deep in the tournament, if not win it. However, after following up a 2-0 loss to Australia with a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay, they were one of the first teams eliminated with a game to spare.

“It’s been a deeply disappointing campaign,” assesses AS’ Turkish correspondent Özgur Sancar. “Türkiye managed 75 shots across two matches, but without any real efficiency. In general, they dominated possession against both opponents, Australia and Paraguay. But they simply could not score. They couldn’t find the net, they couldn’t convert chances. Football is a game defined by goals, and this team was unable to produce effective shots or create clear chances.”

Why Türkiye were eliminated from the World Cup

For Sancar, there are multiple reasons for Türkiye’s early exit, starting with head coach Vincenzo Montella. Despite Turkish fans being “super angry” with Montella, the Italian has already indicated he is not contemplating resigning from his position.

“Montella’s selections and tactical preferences were very questionable, and he insisted on keeping players like Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Kerem Aktürkoğlu in the starting XI, even though they were consistently performing badly. It was a clear failure in judgment.

“Montella’s biggest mistake is that he always trusts individual players and individual talent too much.”

And talent is not lacking within Türkiye’s roster.

“They have several top-level players in Europe, such as Arda Güler of Real Madrid, Kenan Yıldız of Juventus and Galatasaray players,” Sancar explains. “Goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır was one of the top three goalkeepers in the Champions League last season, alongside Raya and Real Madrid’s Courtois. Barış Alper Yılmaz is also a very effective forward for Galatasaray.”

But Sancar firmly believes those gifted players also need to take a long, hard look in the mirror.

“Individually, and especially mentally, they were not properly prepared. Because of that, they lacked motivation, or were unable to respond properly when things went wrong.

“They were demoralized, and when they conceded goals, especially very early in the match against Paraguay and in the opening game against Australia, they had no ability to come back. They are not at a high enough mental level to recover from setbacks.”

Why the game against the USMNT still matters

What, then, does Türkiye’s premature World Cup exit mean for their final game against the USMNT? While some national teams would view it as a relatively meaningless match, Sancar is adamant that won’t be the case when his compatriots take to the field at SoFi Stadium on Thursday.

“They want to bounce back by beating the United States because this match means more than football for the country,” he explains. “There is a feeling among some people here that there is hostility toward the United States, or toward the current US government.”

Motivation, it seems, won’t be lacking.

“Man for man, I believe Türkiye are a better team than the United States. They have stronger individual players. That is why this is such a prestigious match, because Türkiye are determined to end the tournament with a victory against the United States. It would carry significant meaning, especially politically.”

The players who could get a chance against the United States

After back-to-back defeats, Montella is expected to make changes to his team on Thursday, with some less high-profile names set to be given a chance to shine.

“Tomorrow, new players such as Can Uzun of Eintracht Frankfurt, Ozan Kabak of Hoffenheim and Deniz Gül of Porto will be in the starting XI. We will see a very different Türkiye side against the United States,” explains Sancar.

“Gül could be a surprise striker for any opponent. He had a strong season with Porto in the Portuguese top flight last year and is always developing. Kabak is an experienced center back who has played at elite clubs like Liverpool. He brings defensive solidity and reliability to the back line.

“Yunus Akgün is also a very versatile forward, highly talented, with a big future ahead of him.

“And, of course, Kenan Yıldız has immense potential. He is capable of changing the course of any match.”

Türkiye incentive vs “relaxed” United States

Sancar believes the clash against the USMNT could be one such occasion. While he is full of praise for Pochettino and the United States, he doubles down on his view that Türkiye have a big enough incentive to come out on top despite already being eliminated from the World Cup.

“The United States will be much more relaxed, they have already qualified for the next round.

“Pochettino is a very intelligent coach, much better than Montella. Players like Weston McKennie, Ricardo Pepi, Tyler Adams, Sergiño Dest and Folarin Balogun are elite-level players for the United States.

“The US is a strong team. They know how to control a match, they know how to play in a World Cup, and they have a great deal of international experience.

“But man for man, I still believe Türkiye have the better squad than the United States. I think Türkiye will go into the game highly motivated, full of desire, and they will win.”

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