The USMNT has already topped Group D with convincing victories over both Paraguay and Australia. Mauricio Pochettino has the option to rest some of his top players against Turkiye. However, fielding another strong lineup to keep momentum up would show that his side means business.
Turkiye does not have a bad team on paper. They have exciting youngsters like Arda Guler of Real Madrid, and experienced heads like Inter Milan's Hakan Calhanoglu. However, they have had a disastrous World Cup so far, losing to both Australia and then 10-man Paraguay. They will be playing for pride and a slim chance of making it out of the group as one of the best third-placed teams.
Pochettino should protect his players who have been booked, though. Yellow cards get wiped after the group stages, so there is no point in risking them against Turkiye. This means that Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Antonee Robinson, and Chris Richards should all be rested.
How the USMNT could lineup without these key players
Adams is key to the USMNT's midfield and also a real leader in the group. He is also injury-prone, so it makes sense to rest him against Turkiye. A replacement for him in midfield could be Sebastian Berhalter, who has come on as a substitute in each of the USMNT's games at the tournament so far.
Balogun has had a great start to the World Cup so far with two goals and an assist. Ricardo Pepi is the logical replacement for him up front.
Robinson would be a miss, especially as the USMNT does not have another natural left-back. The right-sided full-back Sergino Dest could fill in there. Richards would also leave a hole at the back for the USMNT. Auston Trusty of Celtic or Mark McKenzie of Toulouse could play instead of him.
Predicted USMNT lineup vs Turkiye: Freese, Freeman, Ream, Trusty, Dest; Berhalter Tillman; Reyna, McKennie, Pulisic; Pepi
Christian Pulisic missed the match with Australia with a calf injury. If he is fit, then he should start against Turkiye. Otherwise, the USMNT could play Haji Wright on the left instead of him. Gio Reyna deserves a start after scoring a fantastic goal to seal the victory against Paraguay.
Before the tournament, many fans debated what success would be like for the USMNT at the World Cup. They have already entertained with the emphatic 4-1 victory over Paraguay. This was backed up with the solid victory over the Australians. Having topped their group, they will play a third-placed team in the round of 32. This puts them in a great position to win a knockout match.
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