Mark McKenzie's mistakes in loss to Turkiye a reminder of USMNT's vulnerability

The USMNT lost 3-2 to Turkiye in their final 2026 World Cup Group D match on Thursday at LA Stadium, with defender Mark McKenzie drawing heavy criticism for defensive errors that contributed directly to all three Turkish goals, scored with involvement from Arda Guler, Orkun Kokcu, and Eren Elmali. The result carried no standings implications, as the U.S. had already clinched first place in Group D while Turkiye had clinched last, prompting coach Mauricio Pochettino to field a heavily rotated side. The USMNT now advance to the knockout rounds, facing Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday in Santa Clara.