USA FACE TURKEY AS PULISIC TARGETS KNOCKOUT RETURN

The United States play Turkey in Los Angeles in their final group match of the World Cup, having already qualified for the knockout stages as group winners. Mauricio Pochettino's team secured back-to-back wins to begin the tournament, a feat not achieved since 1930, and defeated Australia in their previous fixture. The match against Turkey holds no bearing on qualification, as Turkey has already been eliminated from the competition.

Pochettino must decide whether to field an unchanged side to maintain winning momentum or rest key players ahead of the knockout rounds. Forward Christian Pulisic, described by Pochettino as "one of the best players in the world", missed the victory against Australia due to a calf injury sustained in the opening win over Paraguay, where he was substituted at half-time. Pochettino stated that Pulisic's return for the Turkey match remains uncertain, though he expressed hope the player would recover in time to contribute to the team's knockout campaign.

The USA have established themselves as a dominant force in the tournament so far, according to their coach's assessment. Pulisic's potential availability would provide a significant boost to Pochettino's attacking options in the later stages of the competition. The team's progression to the knockout phase was confirmed before the Turkey fixture took place.