USMNT Just Made History Against Turkey. But the Real Test Starts Now.

The U.S. men’s national team walked off the field in Los Angeles on Thursday with a 3-1 win over Turkey. That made it three wins in three group stage matches for the first time ever in a World Cup. The closest they’d come before was 1930, when they won two games and the tournament was only 13 teams. This time it’s 48. So yeah, it’s different. But it’s still a first.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino had already locked up first place in Group D before kickoff. That gave him room to try things. And he did. Only two guys from earlier starting XIs were out there against Turkey: Weston McKennie and Ricardo Pepi. Christian Pulisic started on the bench. Gio Reyna got the nod instead. The whole lineup felt like a dress rehearsal for something bigger.

The crowd was loud before anything happened

Thirty minutes before kickoff, fans outside the stadium were already chanting Carli Lloyd’s name. That’s the kind of energy LA brings when the USMNT is rolling. Lloyd, for what it’s worth, scored three goals in the 2015 Women’s World Cup final. The crowd hadn’t forgotten.

What the win means for the knockout stage

The Round of 32 opponent is now set: Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. That’s the 49ers’ home field. Bosnia is ranked 62nd in the world. The U.S. is 14th. On paper, this looks like a favorable draw. But World Cup knockout games don’t care about paper. Bosnia already made history just getting here. They’re not going to roll over.

Pochettino has a real decision to make now. Do you ride the momentum of a perfect group stage and stick with a lineup that got the job done? Or do you go back to the starters who got you here, even if they didn’t play much in the finale? The USMNT has never felt this deep in a World Cup. But depth only matters if you use it right.

One thing’s clear: this team looks different than any previous U.S. World Cup squad. They’ve got options. They’ve got confidence. And they’ve got a path that, at least on paper, could take them deeper than anyone expected. The real tournament starts now.