IRVINE, California — With 1st place in Group D assured, the United States team returned to work at the Great Park Sports Complex, without the anxiety that usually marks the final rounds of the group stage. On Thursday, at SoFi Stadium, there is still a commitment against Turkey, but the passport for the Round of 32 (16th round) is already stamped: the knockout stage is scheduled for July 1st, in Santa Clara.
The North Americans' opponent will be one of the third-placed teams — the definition depends on Annex E of the FIFA regulations, which, through 495 scenarios, organizes pairings between group winners and third-placed teams. "I don't understand very well, mathematically, who we're going to face. Whoever they tell me to prepare for, that's who I'm going to prepare for. I only think about the present", said striker Folarin Balogun.
The expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams brought something new: the top two from each of the 12 groups and eight third-place teams will advance. While for most the knockout tree is clear, the third-party matches depend on that formula, so the USA will divide their attention between the match against Turkey — with the likely use of several regular reserves — and the best management for the meeting in Santa Clara, six days later. Possible rivals include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Ecuador and Senegal.
Despite the reduced competitive weight, winger Alex Zendejas highlights the importance of Thursday's game: "It counts because it gives us confidence for what's to come. We said in the group: just because we're already classified doesn't mean we're going to lose our footing. We have to maintain the same confidence, the same pace and continue showing the world what this team is capable of."
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It's an unprecedented start: in the modern era, the USA have never won their group after just two games. Whoever the opponent is in the round of 16, the Americans will enter as favorites — a rare scenario in the knockout stages. In 2002, against Mexico, they had a good chance and won; in 2010, with Ghana, they ended up eliminated. There were clear ‘underdogs’ in the defeats of 1994 (Brazil), 2014 (Belgium) and 2022 (Netherlands).
Everything points to rotation on Thursday for three reasons: managing the four players at risk (Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Tyler Adams and Balogun himself), avoiding wear and tear in the starters and, finally, giving minutes and pace to the substitutes. Among the most successful candidates are midfielders Sebastian Berhalter and Gio Reyna, defenders Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie, full-back Joe Scally, wingers Tim Weah and Alex Zendejas and striker Haji Wright. Cristian Roldan missed Monday's training, due to myalgia, being 'day to day'; Without another midfielder from scratch, the coaching staff may have to improvise.
A particular case is that of Christian Pulisic. With a calf injury, the captain has not played since the first half of the match on June 12, against Paraguay. For the first time since his diagnosis, he participated in preliminary exercises and running at Monday's training session (the session was mostly closed). The question remains: even if it is close to maximum, does it make sense to risk minutes with Turkey? Missing out would mean reaching the Round of 32 with 19 days without competition and just 45 minutes played in three and a half weeks.
With the top spot secured, Pulisic is not an immediate urgency. Still, the USA will want to preserve the offensive dynamic that stifled opponents from the opening whistle and has already forced two own goals. The team has six goals — just one less than they scored in the five games of the 2002 campaign, which ended in the quarterfinals — and another victory would help maintain the euphoric atmosphere around the group and the country.
“I've been trying to understand, but America is a huge country,” commented Balogun, born in Brooklyn, raised in England and with a career in Europe. "Weston McKennie has been showing me videos, because I sit next to him on the plane, of fans in various places... It's something we can't fully take in because we're in it; when it's all over and we go back to our daily lives, we'll see the impact we've had. It's a beautiful thing."