Pochettino set to protect USMNT players on yellow cards against Türkiye

Mauricio Pochettino says the United States will not start its four players carrying yellow cards against Türkiye. Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson are set to be held back to reduce the risk of missing the round-of-32 match on July 1.

The decision comes with the U.S. already confirmed as Group D winner and Türkiye unable to advance, meaning the final group match will not change the standings. Because group-stage cautions that do not trigger a suspension are cleared after this phase, Pochettino has little incentive to expose those players unnecessarily.

The manager’s selection could also reflect broader squad management. Christian Pulisic is available after missing the Australia match with a calf issue, though his role remains undecided, while Cristian Roldan’s quadriceps problem still needs assessment. Pochettino also indicated that players’ club workloads may influence who gets minutes.

Even with the stakes reduced on paper, the U.S. staff is not treating Türkiye as a passive opponent. Pochettino expects an intense response from an eliminated side, which makes the balance between rhythm, rotation and risk the central issue for the hosts before the knockout rounds.