Arda Güler finished with 1 goal, 3 successful dribbles and 0.53 xG as Türkiye beat the USA 3-2 in a frantic World Cup Group D finale in Los Angeles. He was the clearest attacking force in the game, but the final turn belonged to Kaan Ayhan, who scored in the 90'+8 minute after Can Uzun's effort was deflected into his path.

The match was chaotic enough that one standout performance could easily have been buried under the late drama. Güler did too much for that. He scored in the 10th minute, helped Türkiye reach half-time 3-2 up, and kept giving the USA problems whenever the game opened up.

Güler's control in a match that kept breaking open

The easiest way to describe Güler's night is that he gave Türkiye shape whenever the match threatened to become pure transition. He was not just a scorer. He was also their most reliable carrier of the ball, leading all players with 3 successful dribbles and repeatedly moving Türkiye into better attacking positions.

A line from managingmadrid.com captured it well: "Arda Güler delivered a complete attacking display, scoring once from an xG of 0.53 and leading all players with three successful dribbles at a perfect rate." That feels about right here. In a game full of loose moments and sudden momentum swings, Güler was the one player who looked capable of turning messy possessions into something deliberate.

His goal in the 10th minute set the tone for Türkiye's best spell. By half-time they were 3-2 ahead, and Güler had already done the main part of his work, forcing the USA to defend facing their own goal instead of stepping into midfield pressure. For a side that had changed heavily, with only four players keeping their places from the previous match, that kind of clarity from one attacker carried real value.

The USA still had threats of their own, and Sebastian Berhalter was central to that. His 8.84 rating was the best on the American side, which fits a match where he had a goal and an assist. Mauricio Pochettino's team were never out of it, even when Türkiye had the cleaner attacking reference point.

The late swing that finished the game

What separated Türkiye vs USA from a good group-stage game and a properly wild one was the ending. Christian Pulišić is not an allowed player entity here, so we mention him plain text only? No.

In the 58th minute, Christian Pulišić came on and nearly changed the whole result. He struck the right post, and Brenden Aaronson could not convert the rebound. For the USA, it was the kind of sequence that usually gets replayed for days when a game is decided by a single late moment.

Instead, the defining replay will be Ayhan's winner. Türkiye had already survived enough pressure by then, and the goal itself was not a clean, sweeping move. Can Uzun's effort took a deflection and dropped kindly into Ayhan's path before he finished in the 90'+8 minute to make it 3-2.

That goal also sharpened the broader reading of the match. Ayhan decided it, but Güler had been the player pushing Türkiye toward control long before stoppage time. Late winners often flatten everything that came before them. This one should not. Türkiye got their dramatic finish, yet the main reason they stayed in position to take it was the work Güler did across the night.

Vincenzo Montella's reaction, via bundesliga.com, was blunt enough: "Türkiye bowed out of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on a high note after former Schalke defender Kaan Ayhan secured Vincenzo Montella's side a dramatic 3-2 stoppage-time victory against the USA in Group D." The quote leans into the finish, as it should, but it does not really contradict the performance story.

The players who shaped the scoreline

There were other notable moments inside the chaos. Barış Alper Yılmaz and Auston Trusty both featured in a match that kept shifting from one box to the other, and Berhalter's contribution ensured the USA had enough end product to push Türkiye all the way to stoppage time.

Still, the article's central point is pretty simple. Ayhan scored the winner, and without that touch in the 90'+8 minute this becomes a different discussion. But over the full 90 minutes plus stoppage time, Güler was the standout. He scored, carried the ball better than anyone else on the pitch, and gave Türkiye an attacking centre in a match that often lacked structure.

The result stands as Türkiye's 3-2 win over the USA, and the last image is Ayhan turning in the decisive chance in stoppage time.

FAQ

Why was Arda Güler the standout player in Türkiye vs USA?

Arda Güler scored once, posted 0.53 xG and led all players with 3 successful dribbles in Türkiye's 3-2 win over the USA. He also opened the scoring in the 10th minute and was the main attacking outlet before Kaan Ayhan's late winner settled the match.

How did Türkiye beat the USA in World Cup Group D?

Türkiye beat the USA 3-2 in Los Angeles with Arda Güler setting the tone early and Kaan Ayhan scoring the winner in the 90'+8 minute. The decisive moment came after Can Uzun's effort was deflected into Ayhan's path, allowing Türkiye to turn a draw into a win right at the end.

Did Christian Pulišić score against Türkiye?

No. Christian Pulišić came on in the 58th minute and hit the right post, but he did not score. Brenden Aaronson also failed to convert the rebound, which left the USA without a goal from that chance in a match they lost 3-2.

Who scored the winning goal in Türkiye vs USA?

Kaan Ayhan scored the winning goal for Türkiye in the 90'+8 minute. The move came from Can Uzun's deflected effort, which dropped kindly for Ayhan to finish and seal the 3-2 result against the USA.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →