Why the USMNT isn't thinking about the Round of 32 yet — 'I just focus on the present'

IRVINE, Calif. — The U.S. World Cup team — Group D winners, “Country Roads” revelers, nation healers — resumed training Monday at Great Park Sports Complex, freed from the anxiety that most sides carry into their opening-stage finales.

One compulsory exercise remains, Thursday against Türkiye at SoFi Stadium. No matter what occurs, the Americans know they will play in the Round of 32 on July 1 in Santa Clara, California.

Who they’ll play, however, remains unresolved. It will be a third-place team from one of five groups, to be determined this week.

Aside from last-place Türkiye, the U.S. has turned its attention to Annex E of the FIFA Rules and Regulations, which, through 495 scenarios, spells out the eight matchups between group winners and third-place teams.

“I don't really understand mathematically … who we play,” striker Folarin Balogun said. “Whoever I get told to prepare for, I'm just going to go out there and prepare for that stuff. I just focus on the present.”

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The complicated equation became necessary when FIFA expanded the field this year to 48 from 32. Two finishers from each of the 12 groups will advance, and eight third-place teams will move on. While the bracket is set for most advancing teams, the FIFA formula will determine specific matchups for the third-placers.

So the Americans will juggle the mostly meaningless match against Türkiye — a game that is sure to feature many usual substitutes — with how they’d like to position themselves for a knockout game six days later at Levi’s Stadium. Possible candidates include Bosnia, Qatar, Ecuador and Senegal.

Tyler Adams, Matt Turner, Chris Richards, Christian Pulisic and Antonee Robinson of the United States participate during a training session at Great Park Sports Complex on June 22, 2026 in Irvine, California.Jamie Squire via Getty Images

Winger Alex Zendejas said that even though Thursday’s match doesn’t carry much weight, “it still does because it gives us the confidence for what is coming next. We were talking in the group: Just because we are through doesn’t mean we have to let our foot off the pedal. We have to keep on going with that same confidence, same rhythm and keep showing each other and the world what this team is made of.”

It’s been quite a start. Never in the modern era has the U.S. won its group after two matches. It’s been eliminated after two, gotten to the cusp of advancing and the precipice of going home, but never been in this stress-free situation.

No matter who they play in the Round of 32, the Americans will enter as clear favorites. That, too, is uncommon for the knockout stage. They were given decent chances of winning their first elimination match in 2002 against Mexico (they won) and in 2010 against Ghana (they lost), but were notable underdogs in losing in 1994 (to Brazil), 2014 (to Belgium) and 2022 (to the Netherlands).

“The objective and the aim is to go out there and win” the group finale, Balogun said. “Three wins from three games, it’s an opportunity to create history and put a positive message out there, not just for ourselves, but towards other teams.”

With no serious consequences, though, Pochettino is certain to rotate personnel for three reasons:

1. Center back Chris Richards, left wing back Antonee Robinson, defensive midfielder Tyler Adams and Balogun have received yellow cards, meaning another would disqualify them from playing in the Round of 32. There is no incentive for Pochettino to play them even a minute.

2. To avoid injury and overexertion, other starters probably will play limited minutes or sit out entirely.

3. Pochettino will want to keep his reserves sharp and engaged after using almost the same starting lineup the first two matches.

Midfielders Sebastian Berhalter and Gio Reyna would be prime candidates after coming off the bench in the first two matches. Center backs Auston Trusty (10 minutes) and Mark McKenzie (none), outside back Joe Scally (10), wingers Tim Weah (18) and Alex Zendejas (none) and forward Haji Wright (stoppage time of the Australia match) also could figure into Pochettino’s plans.

Midfielder Cristian Roldan would be the obvious replacement for Adams, but he missed training Monday with an unspecified muscle strain and is listed as day to day. Without another natural defensive midfielder, Pochettino would need to improvise.

Then there is the matter of Christian Pulisic, who, because of a calf injury, has not played since the first half of the June 12 opener against Paraguay.

For the first time since the diagnosis, the star forward participated in preliminary team exercises Monday, including running. (Most of the session was closed to reporters.)

It was a positive development for Pulisic, who last week, for the most part, worked with athletic trainers apart from his teammates. So the question becomes: If close to full strength, does he play at all Thursday? Common sense suggests he watches from the bench, as he did against Australia on Friday in Seattle.

But not playing would mean no competitive minutes in 19 days between the opener and Round of 32 and and just 45 minutes over 3½ weeks.

Pulisic has not been available to answer questions since the Paraguay match and Pochettino won’t address reporters again until his scheduled news conference Wednesday afternoon at SoFi Stadium.

“It’s a tough situation where you are going through a small little knock during an important tournament and everyone obviously wants to be 100 percent,” Zendejas said. “It’s not so much to talk about the injury or talk about the moment he’s going through. Talk about other stuff and get his mind off it. I think that helps him out a lot.”

With first place locked up, Pulisic is not a vital concern for the next few days.

While Pochettino will want to involve others, he will also want to maintain momentum and rhythm spurred by a humming attack that has put opponents under so much duress from the opening whistle that it has forced two own goals. The U.S. has scored six goals, one fewer than it posted over five matches during the 2002 quarterfinal run.

Another victory would also maintain the happy vibe around not only the team but the country. The players aren’t out in public much; they consume their time at the seaside team hotel, at the training facility located about 30 minutes inland and on a bus or plane.

Nevertheless, they are quite aware of the buzz they’ve created.

“I've been trying to comprehend it, but America is such a big country,” said Balogun, who was born in Brooklyn, bred in England and spent his entire career in Europe. “Weston [McKennie] has been showing me videos, because I sit next to him on the plane. He's been showing me videos of fans in different parts. … It's not something any of us can really comprehend because we're in it, but once we're out of it and getting on with our daily lives, we’ll be able to see the impact we've made. It's a beautiful thing.”