USMNT faces World Cup dilemma vs. Turkiye: Rotate squad or keep same XI?
ESPN • • sports
Key Points:
- The U.S. men's national team has already qualified for the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and secured the top spot in Group D after winning its first two matches.
- With their final group match against Türkiye having no impact on standings, coach Mauricio Pochettino faces a decision between resting key players or maintaining consistency to preserve momentum.
- Pochettino is likely to rest players with yellow cards to avoid suspensions in the knockout round, potentially giving playing time to less-used squad members like Cristian Roldan, Mark McKenzie, and Max Arfsten.
- Christian Pulisic, recovering from a calf injury, may get limited minutes to regain sharpness, but the priority is keeping the team healthy for the knockout stages.
- Goalkeeper Matt Freese might retain his starting spot to gain experience, while other regular starters are expected to be rested to keep the squad fresh and maintain strong team camaraderie.
