Look, let’s keep it a buck: nobody needs to be losing sleep over that 3-2 loss to Turkey at Los Angeles Stadium. The US Men's National Team already handled their business early, locking down their spot in the round of 32 after putting hands on Paraguay and Australia. This final group game was basically a formality, a dead-rubber match where we had absolutely nothing to gain and everything to lose if our main guys got hurt or caught a cheap suspension.

Before the game, the energy out at training in Irvine was pure positive vibes, real light and jovial. The media was doing the absolute most, tracking Christian Pulisic’s every single move and acting like his calf sleeve was some top-secret government project. But the team wasn't sweatatall. With the new World Cup bracket setup keeping everyone guessing on who we play next until the other groups finished up on Wednesday, the fellas just kept their heads down and stayed focused on the bigger picture.

Coach Mauricio Pochettino made the smartest move of the night by keeping our top dogs out of harm's way. The tournament rules say yellow cards get wiped after the group stage, but if you get another yellow before that, you’re suspended for the next round. Poch wasn't about to play games with that system, so he sat Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Folarin Balogun, and Tyler Adams. Keeping that core four fresh and clean of suspensions for the next round was a major win, no cap.

With the starters chilling, it was time for the bench to step up and show what they're about. Sebastian Berhalter, who’s been grinding as the first guy called off the bench in the earlier games, finally got his chance to start. By the time the game wrapped, almost the whole squad—minus Max Arfsten—got to make their tournament debut. Getting those live reps in now is huge because you never know when someone’s name is gonna get called when the stakes are high.

Now, when you swap out that many players at once, the chemistry is gonna be a little off. We saw some sloppy moments out there, which is bound to happen when you’re rotating the whole squad. The US fought back and almost walked out with a solid 2-2 draw, but Turkey snuck in a late one right at the buzzer. It hurts to lose like that, but in a game that didn't mean anything for the standings, you gotta just shake it off.

Auston Trusty had a little scare when he rolled his left ankle, but he showed out, got treated, and kept his head high. After the match, he made it clear that the squad’s morale is 'overwhelmingly positive.' Trusty kept it real—he pointed out that Turkey actually had something to play for, while our young hungry guys got to get on the pitch and show their skills. He wasn't letting one late goal ruin the vibe.