Both sets of sides were heavily rotated for this match-up, as Mauricio Pochettino looked to rest key players, whilst Vincenzo Montella gave players who hadn't managed many minutes in the first two games a run-out, in a match that was being played for pride.

The Argentine boss named a starting eleven that contained nine changes following the US's 2-0 victory over Australia, with key players like Folarin Balogun and Antonee Robinson being rested due to being one yellow card away from suspension for the knockout rounds.

 The changes to the squad didn't seem to affect the hosts, as they got off to yet another fast start, scoring from a corner inside just three minutes. Austin Trusty found himself unmarked at the back-post, and the 27-year-old slotted the ball past Ugurcan Cakir to give his nation the lead, in what was yet another poor defensive showing from a set-piece by Turkiye.

Conceding so early could have spelt disaster for the Crescent Stars, and after their lacklustre displays in the opening two games, Arda Güler's immediate response came as a surprise to many inside the stadium.

The Real Madrid star showed a level of grit his nation has been lacking in the tournament, forcing his way past the US backline, and finishing from close-range past Matt Turner. Guler grabbed both his first goal at a World Cup as well as his countries first in this year's campaign.

The Crescent Stars managed to turnaround the tie just 20 minutes later, unlocking the USA backline after a clever Guler through ball found Eren Elmali, who cut the ball back to Orkun Kokcu, who coolly finished into the bottom-left corner to put his nation 2-1 up.

Despite being so disappointing going forward in the opening two matches, the Turks managed to score their first two shots on target against Group D's most dominant nation, and had all the momentum going into the break

It was a first-half display that saw Turkiye play with an intensity and freedom that hadn't been seen in their first two games, which will frustrate Turkish fans, who were hoping for their country to make their return to the World Cup a memorable one.

It was deja vu in the second half for the USMNT, as they managed to find the equaliser within just three minutes of play restarting. A cleared corner for the States fell to Sebastian Berhalter, who unleashed a ferocious effort into the bottom-left corner from roughly 20-yards out, causing US fans to erupt in Los Angeles.

Cheers continued amongst fans of the USA, as Christian Pulisic was introduced back into the side as a substitute in the 58th minute, after being brought off in the Stars and Stripes opening match against Paraguay at half-time due to a calf injury. 

The AC-Milan winger saw his first two efforts brilliantly saved, with the second attempt being just inches away and tipped onto the post, as the US applied pressure to Türkiye in search of a third goal,

The second-half was a much cagier affair, as Turkiye seemed to tire at the hands of Pochettino's pressing system, and looked to primarily catch their opponent's out with a counter-attack.

Pochettino utilised the majority of his key players on the bench, which kept his side fresh and able to keep up his desired style of play. However, they couldn't find a way through and allowed for the Crescent Stars to win the fixture in the dying embers of the match.

In the eighth minute of added time, Kaan Ayhan managed to poke home a goalmouth scramble, as the Turks picked up a win on their final game of the World Cup and denied the hosts an unbeaten record in Group D.

Mauricio Pochettino's decision to make nine changes to the side was not shocking, as the Stars and Stripes knew that whatever the result of today's fixture, they would qualify from Group D in top spot. However, it is clear to see that the US may suffer if key players get injured, especially going forward.

Timothy Weah seemed to lack confidence, and was brought off in the 58th minute after failing to make an impact on the game. US fans will be relieved to see Pulisic return after his calf injury, as the 27-year-old replaced Weah and had a bigger influence on the game in a shorter period of time.

The USMNT midfield has been one of its most impressive positions, and the Adams-Tilman-McKennie trio played a huge role in both of the hosts' opening wins.  However, the absence of both Tilman and Adams meant that McKennie could not get as far forward as he has been, and offensively, the States looked a lot weaker in the middle of the park.

It has been a solid group stage performance from the USA, despite falling to defeat today, but it is also a warning sign for the hosts that they must manage the minutes of their key players, as they cannot afford to see them get injured and be unavailable against the world's best teams.

Türkiye's return to the World Cup can only be described as disappointing, due to them being seen as the nation to rival the USA for top spot in Group D before the tournament began.

Few would have predicted the Turks' collapse, and things could have turned out differently if they had performed as they did today in their first two games.

The Crescent Stars seemed to play with a huge amount of freedom, with Arda Guler standing out in the first half in particular, and generally seemed to have more desire to win the game, despite it only being played for pride in their case.

The Real Madrid wonderkid will be disappointed with his debut World Cup showing, as he failed to make an impact against the lesser teams, potentially succumbing to the pressure mounted on him before the tournament began.

Securing a win against the hosts will provide Turkish fans with some positivity to end their World Cup campaign, but it will be a question of 'what if?' as the Crescent Stars drop out of this year's tournament having only secured a single point.

As previously mentioned, today's fixture was never going to have any major implications on the outcome of Group D, but a loss means that the USMNT fail to achieve an unbeaten group performance.

Vincenzo Montella will be happy his side showed more fight, but will still be under pressure after guiding his side to a premature World Cup exit. Pochettino paid the price for resting his key players, but he needs to put the result quickly behind him and focus now on his team's upcoming round of 32 game against Bosnia.

It is a result that caps off a brilliant World Cup group, with every nation in Group D having their moment, and potentially three nations heading to the knockout rounds.