Turkey secured a victory against the United States in Los Angeles, with Kaan Ayhan scoring the winning goal in stoppage time. This result marked Turkey’s first World Cup win since 2002. The co-hosts, USA, had initially taken an early lead in the match.
The United States made a strong start, with Celtic defender Auston Trusty scoring into the game. This goal is noted as the second quickest ever scored by the US at a World Cup, following Clint Dempsey’s goal in 2014 against Ghana. Despite this early setback, Vincenzo Montella’s side, who had previously lost their two opening games, began to find their rhythm.
Arda Guler equalised for Turkey, marking their first goal in this year’s finals with a close-range finish from Baris Alper Yilmaz’s pass. Shortly after, Orkun Kokcu’s shot appeared to deflect off Yilmaz’s thigh, completing a move that involved Real Madrid midfielder Guler, and turning the match in Turkey’s favour.
After the half-time interval, Mauricio Pochettino’s team increased their intensity and drew level through Sebastian Berhalter’s effort into the bottom left corner. Christian Pulisic, who came on as a substitute, had several opportunities to score, with Turkey goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir making a notable save to tip one shot onto the post.
At the other end of the pitch, Kenan Yildiz curled a shot wide, and Yilmaz lost his footing when in a good scoring position. Ultimately, Ayhan secured the win for Turkey by converting Can Uzun’s touch towards goal in the final moments of the game.
Group D standings and qualification
Despite their loss, the United States had already secured top spot in Group D with their previous win over Australia. Turkey, however, will exit the tournament after finishing at the bottom of their group.
The qualification rules for this World Cup place significant emphasis on head-to-head records over goal difference when teams are level on points. USA had already secured their place in the knockout stage, and Turkey had been eliminated prior to this match.
The remaining qualification spot from Group D will be contested between Australia and Paraguay. Australia began their group stage with a 2-0 victory over Turkey, while Paraguay lost 4-1 to the USA. In their second games, Australia were defeated 2-0 by the USA, and Paraguay beat Turkey 1-0 despite playing with 10 men.
The winner of the match between Australia and Paraguay will qualify for the knockout stages. If their match ends in a draw, both teams would finish on 4 points. In this scenario, goal difference would become the deciding factor. Australia’s goal difference is 0, while Paraguay’s is -2, meaning Australia would qualify in second place. Paraguay would then need to await other results to see if they are among the best eight third-placed nations.
If multiple teams are level on points, a mini-league is formed using results from matches between those specific teams. Ranking is determined by points won in these head-to-head games, then by goal difference, followed by goals scored. If teams remain level, the overall group goal difference and goals scored are considered. Further tie-breakers include the Team Conduct Score, which is based on accumulated cards, and finally, the Fifa ranking from June’s published update.
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Source: bbc.co.uk
Adam Rutherford is a Senior Football Correspondent at News-UK. He spent his early career filing match reports across the North West. He focuses on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from Manchester Metropolitan University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Manchester, he coaches a youth team and watches grassroots football. “Every transfer window hides a dozen real stories.”
