World Cup: Team U.S.A. Loss To Turkey, Still Heads To Knockout Round

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.

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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.

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.

Source: NBC News