USMNT Weighs 4 Yellow-Card Risks Against Türkiye as Group D Win Makes Match Meaningless
Updated
Updated · ESPN · Jun 22
USMNT Weighs 4 Yellow-Card Risks Against Türkiye as Group D Win Makes Match Meaningless
1 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jun 22
Summary
Group D winner United States enters its final match against eliminated Türkiye with nothing at stake in the standings, leaving Mauricio Pochettino to choose between preserving momentum and heavily rotating.
Four likely starters — Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson — would be suspended for the July 1 round-of-32 match if they take another yellow card, with bookings wiped only after the group stage.
Christian Pulisic, out against Australia with a left calf issue, could get a brief return for sharpness, but the report argues the safer move is to rest him and prioritize full health for the knockout stage.
Bench players such as Cristian Roldan, Mark McKenzie, Max Arfsten, Brenden Aaronson and Gio Reyna could benefit from minutes, while goalkeeper Matt Freese is one regular who may keep his place to build World Cup experience.
The broader aim is to protect a healthy, confident squad while giving reserves meaningful action before a knockout run in which Pochettino may need instant impact from his bench.