Khan Ayhan scored the winning goal late in stoppage time as Tolkier handed the USA their first loss at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Published June 26, 2026
Turkiye defeated a much-changed USA 3-2 with a late Khan Ayhan winner in an action-packed dead rubber clash that gave the 2026 World Cup co-hosts their toughest test yet heading into the finals.
Already the winners of Group D, the United States arrived in Los Angeles looking to get off to a perfect start with a third win, but also had their eyes set on next Wednesday’s round-of-32 matchup with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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For Tolkier, who had already been eliminated after suffering crushing defeats to Paraguay and Australia and not even scoring a goal, the only objective was to regain some pride.
Despite the low stakes and significant lineup changes for both teams, the atmosphere in the packed Los Angeles stadium was deafening.
In the third game, the United States got off to a dream start. Reserve centre-back Auston Trusty, one of nine substitutes, was freed at the far post from a US corner kick and was given time to cushion the ball home with his left foot.
It was the Celtic defender’s first international goal and the second fastest goal by an American player at the World Cup, taking just under three minutes.
But Tolkier did not surrender. After 62 games without a goal after the first two matches, it was 63rd time lucky for the Turkey international and its star man Arda Güler.
The Real Madrid forward tricked Mark McKenzie with a clever dummy and the ball trickled down the right flank to Baris Alper Yilmaz.
Yilmaz passed the cross back to Guler, who slotted it past Matt Turner to equalize in the 10th minute.
With Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in the Hollywood crowd, the match threatened to become a fight club, and Tolkier’s bench rushed onto the field to protest a foul by a belligerent Sebastian Berhalter, earning him a yellow.
The Americans thought they had regained the lead, but McKenzie, the second American center back, put the ball in the goal. However, his sharp reaction to Ricardo Pepi’s save was ruled offside.
In the 31st minute, the USA found itself behind for the first time in this World Cup.
Güler spotted Eren Elmari’s overlapping run and fed it to the wing-back, who cut the ball back from near the left byline to Yilmaz who slotted the ball past the goalkeeper.
“Captain America” returns
The halftime break was the perfect tonic for the United States. In the 49th minute, Mackenzie tied the game with a long throw.
The ball was cleared by Tolkier, but Berhalter did well to curl his shot into the bottom corner.
The crowd erupted again just before the hour mark when manager Mauricio Pochettino brought on Christian Pulisic, arguably America’s biggest star and one who will carry much of the co-host’s hopes of making it to the finals.
Pulisic, nicknamed “Captain America,” has not played since aggravating an injury in the first half of the opening game against Paraguay two weeks ago, but he repeated the “USA” chant himself.
Pulisic immediately looked lively, but had his shots blocked twice from close range after some sharp runs down the left. Little did he know about the ball that hit the post off his shin.
Tolkie started knocking on the door again. In the 72nd minute, Yildiz’s shot went just wide of the target.
And late in stoppage time, Ayhan spoiled the U.S. team by slamming the ball home from close range.
While Tolkier was jubilant, after the final whistle, the American players stood in a circle, seemingly determined not to spoil their strong start to the campaign with gut punches.
