The U.S. men’s national team’s dreamy World Cup group stage came to a nightmarish end on Friday, falling to Türkiye 3–2 in the dying seconds of stoppage time at SoFi Stadium.
The match was technically of no consequence for tournament standings—the USMNT having already secured the top spot in Group D, while Türkiye will be sent packing. Nevertheless, the U.S. lost out on the opportunity to not only enter the knockout stage with maximum confidence, but also make more history on home soil, achieving a first-ever perfect group stage finish at soccer’s most competitive tournament.