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  "path": "/news/usa-vs-turkiye-preview-yellow-cards-lineup-rotations-loom-after-americans-claim-group-d",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-25T12:35:01.000Z",
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  "textContent": "The U.S. men’s national team has already done the hard part in Group D, but Thursday’s match against Türkiye still carries real importance before the knockout stage begins.\n\n## About the match\n\nThe U.S. faces Türkiye on Thursday, June 25, at Los Angeles Stadium.\n\nThe match is the final Group D game for both teams.\n\nThe U.S. enters the match with its spot in the round of 32 already clinched and first place in Group D secured.\n\nTürkiye has already been eliminated from the tournament.\n\n## Why the U.S. could rotate its lineup\n\nWith first place already locked up, the biggest storyline for the U.S. is not whether it can advance. It is how Mauricio Pochettino manages his roster before the knockout stage.\n\nFOX Sports reported that Pochettino confirmed the four U.S. players carrying yellow cards will not start against Türkiye.\n\nThat group includes Folarin Balogun, Tyler Adams, Chris Richards and Antonee \"Jedi\" Robinson.\n\nIf any of those players picked up another yellow card in the final group match, they would be suspended for the U.S. team’s first knockout game.\n\nYellow cards reset after the group stage, but suspensions do not. That makes resting those players the safest move.\n\n## Who could rest for the U.S.\n\nThe four yellow-card players are not the only ones who could sit.\n\nSeveral U.S. regulars could get rest, including players who came into the tournament dealing with injuries or recent returns.\n\nChristian Pulisic is nearing a return from a sore calf, but FOX Sports projected that he could come off the bench instead of starting.\n\nTim Ream, Sergiño Dest, Weston McKennie and other key players could also be managed with the knockout stage ahead.\n\nFor the U.S., this match is a rare chance to balance rhythm, rest and risk.\n\n## Projected USMNT lineup\n\nFOX Sports projected a heavily rotated U.S. lineup against Türkiye.\n\n### **The projected starting lineup included:**\n\n**Goalkeeper** : Matt Freese\n\n**Left back** : Max Arfsten\n\n**Center back** : Auston Trusty\n\n**Center back** : Mark McKenzie\n\n**Center back** : Miles Robinson\n\n**Right back** : Joe Scally\n\n**Central midfielder** : Weston McKennie\n\n**Central midfielder** : Sebastian Berhalter\n\n**Attacking midfielder** : Brenden Aaronson\n\n**Striker** : Tim Weah\n\n**Striker** : Ricardo Pepi\n\nThe lineup would give several players their biggest opportunity of the tournament while keeping key starters available for the round of 32.\n\n## Player to watch\n\nRicardo Pepi is one of the U.S. players to watch Thursday.\n\nFOX Sports analyst Laken Litman picked Pepi as the player to watch, noting that he could start again with Balogun sitting on a yellow card.\n\nPepi started against Australia with Pulisic out and helped force the own goal in the U.S. win.\n\nAgainst Türkiye, he could get another chance to lead the line and push for his first World Cup goal.\n\n## What to expect from Türkiye\n\nTürkiye enters the match already eliminated, but the team is one of the more talented sides at the bottom of its group, and has widely been labeled as one of the \"biggest disappointments\" of the tournament.\n\nTürkiye has not scored in its first two matches, despite creating chances. The team had 62 shots through its first two games without scoring.\n\nThat makes Thursday’s match a strange one: Türkiye has nothing left to play for in the standings, but it still has enough talent to make the game difficult if the U.S. rotates heavily.\n\n## Why the match still matters\n\nEven with the group already clinched, the U.S. still has something to protect.\n\nA strong performance would keep momentum high going into the knockout stage.\n\nA sloppy performance could raise questions before the tournament becomes single elimination.\n\nThe U.S. also has a chance to finish the group stage with three wins, while giving important minutes to players who may be needed later in the tournament.\n\nThe U.S. will play its first knockout-stage match in the round of 32.\n\nFor Türkiye, Thursday’s match will be its final game of the World Cup.",
  "title": "USA vs Türkiye preview: Yellow cards, lineup rotations loom after Americans claim Group D"
}