INGLEWOOD, Calif. — This night, from its beginning, was always going to be a celebration for the U.S. national team.
Not a coronation, because there is much more work to be done before this World Cup can be considered a resounding success for the home side.
But a celebration — as Group D winners — for the work that was done in the previous two matches before kickoff against Turkey on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium.
This represented the rarest of rarities for the USMNT in World Cup play in that no result was needed in the third and final group match — whether it be to advance to the knockout round or seeding/positioning for it.
Never in America’s history in the World Cup has it been in this position of power before.
Thanks to the resounding victories over Paraguay (4-1) and Australia (2-0) this night was always going to be a 90-minute no-stress express for the Americans, because they could lose 6-0 to Turkey and still move on to the round of 32 as winners of Group D.
No result — win, lose or draw — could enhance or deter the U.S. positioning for its first knockout-round match, July 1 in Santa Clara, Calif., almost certainly against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Dating back to 1990, a span of the previous eight World Cups in which the Americans have competed, in every one of them the U.S. needed a result to either advance out of group play or enhance its seeding for its first knockout-round match.
Here are several examples:
l In 2022, the U.S. needed a result against Iran in the third match of group play and won, 1-0, to advance to the knockout stage.
l In 2014, it had already qualified for the knockout round, but lost to Germany, 1-0, in the third group-stage match and then had to play one of the best teams in the world, Belgium, in the knockout round and lost, 1-0.
l In 2006, the U.S. needed a result against Ghana in the third group stage match and lost, 2-1, never advancing to the knockout stage.
l In 1994, the last time the World Cup was played in the U.S., the Americans lost 1-0 to Romania in the third group stage match and, because of that, had to play world power Brazil in the first knockout match and were knocked out, 1-0.
So, Thursday night was foreign territory on home soil for the USMNT.
The early success in the group stage allowed U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino to rotate in some of his backup players to get them more game ready for the next round.
He, too, was able to sit his four players carrying yellow cards into the match — striker Folarin Balogun, midfielder Tyler Adams and defenders Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson — because had any of them played and received another yellow Thursday night, they would be suspended for the next match.
“We achieved what we wanted — first to qualify and then to finish first [in the group],’’ Pochettino said before the match. “Now it’s important to think in all the circumstances and make the best decision for the team — the best starting 11 that we believe are ready to play and compete (in the first knockout round).
“We earned the possibility to manage [personnel] and arrive in better condition for the next stage,’’ he went on. “We need to be sure we have a team that is fresh and competitive. The objective is to arrive at the next stage with 26 players available for selection, and pick the best starting 11 for the next round.’’
That meant resting some starters and playing some backups.
“Everyone on this team is ready to step up,’’ U.S. striker Christian Pulisic said before the match. “We’re going to support and push everyone the same way. Whoever gets the opportunity, whatever the decisions may be, everyone’s going to be ready. It just shows how much more depth we have and what a strong team we are.”
Indeed, the product the U.S. put on the pitch in the first two group stage matches suggests that this has the possibility to be the Americans’ best World Cup team ever.
Now, after Thursday night’s glorified friendly match against Turkey before a spirited, sold-out stadium full of U.S. fans who came to celebrate this team, we find out whether that’s true, beginning next week.
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