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The United States national team will have the rare opportunity to play a World Cup match with nothing at stake for either team. Mauricio Pochettino’s side have already won Group D while their opponent Turkey have already been eliminated and will leave the tournament after the match.
There are many factors Pochettino will want to take into account when putting together his lineup for this match. Which players need rest? Which players should play?
To state the obvious, there are four players who started the first two games and are on yellow cards: Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Antonee “Jedi” Robinson and Folarin Balogun. These players are not expected to play against Turkey and risk not being eligible for the critical knockout round match.
Here’s a look at who should enter the starting lineup, who should stay in the starting lineup, who should enter the game and the tactics that should be used:
USA vs Türkiye: Which formation should Pochettino use?
The tactics used by Pochettino have evolved over the past year and much of it has focused on a mostly consistent formation in the backline with Tim Ream, Alex Freeman and Richards playing most games.
With a squad in high rotation, Pochettino might opt to keep things simpler. On top of that, the U.S. team is limited in central midfield, with Adams having to sit and Roldan’s health questionable.
Pochettino can be difficult to predict in situations like this (as few have seen Ricardo Pepi and Balogun start together against Australia), but a 3-4-3 formation makes the most sense given the players he has at his disposal.
It is unclear how Turkey will play in this match. When a team expected to go far suffers an early elimination before its final game, it can take different paths. Some teams fall apart and just want to go home. The other teams are determined to leave the tournament with some pride and play well. The US team must expect the best from Turkey, which will be a very tough test.
Which American players should make their first start?
The Marseille right winger/right back needs to start this match to see how he reacts to his current adversity. The longtime veteran was a starter in 2022 and scored a goal in the opening match of this tournament. At present, he is lower down the pecking order in Pochettino’s team. He should be hungry and looking to make a statement with every minute he has.
The versatile Leeds United striker always brings intensity and effort whenever he plays. With experience in the Premier League, World Cup and Champions League during his career, he could bring leadership to a makeshift outfit.
Pochettino praised Berhalter’s professionalism and Berhalter does well to stick to tactical structures. He’s played enough minutes with this team over the last year to understand what Pochettino wants. Without many options in central midfield, Berhalter is certainly needed in the starting lineup.
The Columbus Crew veteran has been a regular for Pochettino at left-back whenever Antonee Robinson couldn’t play, which was all of 2025. With Robinson out, Arfsten makes sense.
If Pochettino wants to rest or use Alex Freeman and Sergino Dest as replacements, Scally is the logical choice at right-back.
The Philadelphia Union product and current Toulouse center back is the most logical player to enter the lineup in the middle in place of Richards.
Trusty has seen an increasing role in the team since the fall, and he gives a three-man backline a left-footed option in place.
Robinson hasn’t had a great year in 2026 for club or country, but if there are to be massive changes, Robinson will likely move back into the right-sided backline.
Which American players should remain in the lineup?
Freese isn’t required to start this game, but he hasn’t faced many shots in the first two games. This game could help him maintain momentum with bigger matches on the horizon.
It’s always been a question of who would start in the defensive midfielder role if Tyler Adams couldn’t play. With Roldan also dealing with an injury, McKennie could get the nod after playing in the attacking position in the first two games. Pochettino has often praised McKennie’s versatility and it might make sense for him to use him.
The PSV Eindhoven striker came off the bench in the first match, but started the second match alongside Balogun in a two-striker setup. But Pepi is more than capable of being effective as a sole striker with this team. He often thrived in a role at PSV Eindhoven, where he scored 19 goals this season as the club won the Eredivisie and advanced to the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Which American players should be substitutes?
The health of the AC Milan star is the most talked about story around this team. All signs point to him being close to a full return, but bringing him off the bench seems logical as Pochettino can assess the game and see if it is appropriate to give Pulisic minutes.
While Renya made his first start in 2026 against Senegal in a pre-World Cup friendly, his role at this World Cup is that of an attacking substitute and with a makeshift lineup, everyone will be asked to contribute more defensively. But this is still a good match to continue to keep Reyna in a rhythm that helps her offensively.
The Coventry forward could be a great attacking option off the bench without Balogun in the lineup.
He is a very different attacking player to Aaronson, but he gives the team a left-footed option who can feature in midfield or out wide. He hasn’t played much under Pochettino, but they could find use for him here.
Roldan has been popular with the team for years and this is his second World Cup team. Seattle’s midfielder is dealing with an injury this week, but if he can get on the field at the end of this game, the team would love it because he didn’t come off the bench in Qatar.
