US seeks to finalize group stage against winless Turkey in World Cup

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The US were on the verge of an encouraging draw in a meaningless game, but they insist that losing to Turkey changes nothing about what’s to come Throughout the week preceding the United States’ final group game, the matchup with Turkey was discussed as something of a formality. The new World Cup format made it impossible to begin speculation on a possible opponent until the third wave of matches kicked off on Wednesday, but the co-hosts’ place in the round of 32 was already secure. There were ample questions about how much Mauricio Pochettino would (and should) rotate. Christian Pulisic’s every movement, including whether or not he was donning a sleeve on his calf, was closely scrutinized. The atmosphere around training was light and jovial, a rare “eye of the hurricane” moment where the intensity seemed to wane and positivity permeated every corner of the team’s camp in Irvine. Continue reading...

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The United States returns to the pitch for its final World Cup group-stage game with some decisions to make. The Americans have already won Group D to lock up a spot in the knockout stage and will face winless Turkey in Inglewood, California, on Thursday. Christian Pulisic returned to training after missing a 2-0 win over Australia, but coach Mauricio Pochettino has to decide how much to use his star player in a game that's meaningless in the standings and the knockout stage right around the corner.