Why Christian Pulisic Started on the Bench for USMNT's Group Finale Against Türkiye?

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The United States kept Christian Pulisic on the bench and sent out nine new starters for its final World Cup group match against Türkiye on Thursday night with its knockout-round place already secured. The American team has already won its group and clinched a matchup with Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32 next week, so coach Mauricio Pochettino used this meaningless final match to give playing time to the second string on his 26-man squad.

A Calf Injury That Lingered Longer Than Expected

Pulisic's absence from the starting lineup traces back to an injury suffered in the tournament's opening match. Pulisic sat out the 2-0 win over Australia after having suffered a calf injury in the 4-1 victory over Paraguay. At the time of the calf injury, the thought was that Pulisic wouldn't miss much time, but the injury dragged on for a bit.

Pulisic Says He Was Ready to Play

Ahead of Thursday's match, Pulisic told reporters he had fully recovered and was eager to return. "I'm feeling good," Pulisic said on Wednesday at practice. "I've obviously joined the team in the last few days, so I'm feeling good, positive going into it, and hopefully I'll be able to play a part tomorrow."

A Tactical Decision, Not a Setback

Despite his availability, Pochettino opted to manage Pulisic's workload carefully rather than risk a start. "Pulisic is available, and then we need to decide if it's possible to play him from the beginning or be on the bench, and have the possibility maybe to play in the second half. That is the situation," the Argentine boss said.

The Bigger Priority: The Knockout Stage

With the Americans having already secured top spot in Group D, the calculus around Pulisic's minutes shifted entirely toward preparation for the round of 32 rather than the result against Türkiye itself. U.S. Soccer said Pulisic was "available for selection" for the Group D finale, but that distinction mattered because Pulisic was coming back from a calf issue, and with the U.S. having already won the group, the Americans' bigger priority was having him ready for the knockout stage. The U.S. did not need Pulisic to beat Türkiye to advance — it needed him right for what comes next.

Nine Total Changes — A Record for the Program

Pulisic's benching was part of a sweeping overhaul of the starting lineup. Pochettino made nine changes to his starting lineup for the group stage finale against Türkiye, the most adjustments a USA team has ever made between two World Cup matches. The previous high was five, between the Germany and Iran games at the 1998 tournament. Midfielder Weston McKennie, who captained the squad, and striker Ricardo Pepi were the only holdovers from the 2-0 win over Australia.

Yellow Card Management Drove Several Other Changes

Beyond Pulisic, several other key starters sat out for an entirely different reason. The modifications were necessary because Pochettino sat four regular starters — midfielder Tyler Adams, striker Folarin Balogun, defender Chris Richards, and fullback Antonee "Jedi" Robinson — because they all had one yellow card and the manager did not want to risk them accumulating a second and therefore being suspended for the round of 32 match.

A Wave of Debuts for Reserve Players

The extensive rotation gave several players their first minutes of the tournament. The new starters were Matt Turner, Auston Trusty, Gio Reyna, Brenden Aaronson, Miles Robinson, Sebastian Berhalter, Tim Weah, Mark McKenzie, and Joe Scally. Turner, Aaronson, McKenzie, and Miles Robinson all got their first playing time at this World Cup. Pochettino also swapped out starting goalkeeper Matt Freese for Turner, who was the Americans' starter for all four matches at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

A Second-Half Appearance for Pulisic

Pulisic did eventually see the field, entering as a substitute with the match level. United States attacker Christian Pulisic remained on the bench for the start of the Americans' group-stage finale Thursday against Türkiye, but entered the game in the 57th minute with the score tied 2-2. Brenden Aaronson had taken Pulisic's usual spot at left wing to begin the match.

Pulisic Reflects on Watching From the Sideline

Pulisic also opened up about the experience of supporting his teammates from the bench during the stretch he missed entirely. "It was obviously a different set of emotions for sure, not being able to play, but I enjoyed just being on the sideline, being around the team," he said. "I wanted to be there and yeah, just still living that World Cup dream. I obviously just couldn't be happier and prouder of how the guys handled that whole situation. I had faith in them. I knew they would. It's a really cool team to be a part of, and I just enjoy the experience a lot."

Another Player Sidelined Entirely

Beyond the lineup rotation, one additional player was unavailable for the match due to a separate injury. Cristian Roldan, who is nursing a quadriceps ailment, was out for the match entirely.

With the group stage now complete and Pulisic having gotten valuable minutes off the bench to continue rebuilding match fitness without the burden of a full 90-minute workload, the United States turns its full attention to the round of 32 matchup against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday, July 1, in Santa Clara, California. Given how deliberately Pochettino managed Pulisic's return — prioritizing his full health and rhythm over any need to win Thursday's meaningless final group match — the American coaching staff appears confident the winger will be available and ready to play a significant role as the team's knockout-stage campaign begins in earnest.