The script was already written before kickoff, or so it seemed. A roaring Los Angeles Stadium expected the United States Men’s National Team to cruise to a perfect 3-0 finish in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group D games. But a homebound Turkey arrived with nothing to protect and everything to chase. A last dance, before they boarded a flight home. And that made them dangerous. And before the home crowd knew it, Vincenzo Montella’s men had taken over. The final group stage match ended in a 3-2 heartbreak for the USMNT.

Now, ex-soccer star Brek Shea feels the loss was the best thing that could’ve happened to Christian Pulisic & Co.

“I think last night was probably the best thing that could have happened to us,” Shea said on ESPN’s First Take. “Everything was going too smooth, too great, we looked good. We needed to get punched in the face.”

The left-back noted that he wanted to see how Team USA reacts to the 1-2 situation at the end of the first half. “I think in the second half, we did that. We came back, we showed a little bit of something, and we puffed our chest out, and we got another goal,” he added.

“Two, two, and unfortunate at the very last second, 16 things went wrong,” Brek Shea commended Turkey for taking a win in their final game at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. “It could have went the other way, a couple deflections, but credit to Turkey for getting that. I don’t think it sways us. I think we’re still ready. I think we have the team and the coach, and I think we’re gonna do this.”

The USMNT had shown early signs of dominance when Auston Trusty scored the first goal 3 minutes into the game. However, seven minutes later, 21-year-old Arda Guler sent Trionda cruising into the net, thus hitting the equalizer. To make things worse for the USA, Galatasaray S.K’s forward Baris Alper Yilmaz gave Turkey the 2-1 lead in the 31st minute.

However, Sebastian Berhalter swooped in to save the day as he tied the match 2-2 in the second half. And while most spectators hoped to see the end in a draw or a win for the USMNT, Turkiye turned aggressive in the final minutes. Moreover, they capitalized on the USA’s weaknesses and hit the final nail during the stoppage time. Well, Turkey isn’t advancing to the knockout stage of the World Cup. However, the loss they handed to Mauricio Pochettino & Co. is worth thinking about.

Should the USMNT be worried about their loss to Turkey moving forward?

The USMNT bagged back-to-back wins against Paraguay and Australia, respectively, to finish atop Group D. However, Thursday night’s results did raise some eyebrows. The game against Turkey could’ve been a cakewalk, but, well, the outcome said otherwise. However, fans shouldn’t be overly concerned about the team, as they are in the Round of 32.

They are facing Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1 in a do-or-die matchup. If anything, the team gave the key players, Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, and Chris Richards enough rest for the greater grind ahead. At the same time, Auston Trusty surely understood the gravity of the loss.

“We were overwhelmingly positive,” he said, speaking to the media. “Obviously, going into this game, they really had nothing to play for. Guys got minutes to prove themselves and show their ability, and that’s what we did. And I think we played well. We had a lot of chances that didn’t go our way, and then to lose with the last-second goal was just unfortunate.”

Well, the USMNT players surely know when to step up. Especially now with the knockout games breathing down their necks, this loss against Turkey will be an important lesson.