Despite making just his 10th-ever appearance—and only fifth competitively—for the U.S. men’s national team on Thursday, defender Auston Trusty showed up like a seasoned veteran.
The 27-year-old defender earned his first World Cup start against Türkiye, lining up at left back at SoFi Stadium. Just two minutes later, he was directing traffic for the U.S.’s first offensive corner kick of the night, instructing his teammates to pull the Turkish defenders centrally while he manned the back post. The tactic worked brilliantly, leaving Trusty wide open on the far side and perfectly placed to receive an in-swinging canon from Sebastian Berhalter.
