By the time Ellie-Rose Griffiths was nine, she had left school to train full-time. That was when tennis stopped being just a game and became her life.

The former top-ranked junior player would go on to compete alongside some of the top names in British tennis including Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu and Harriet Dart before stopping playing at 19 because she was burned out and not enjoying it any more.

When the 27-year-old looks back now, it is not just the tennis she remembers. It is the pressure around it, and in particular one group of people she believes could deal with it better.

Parents.

Pushy parents are nothing new in a sport offering the potential of millions of pounds in prize money at the very top – at elite level there are well-documented incidents involving the dads of Jelena Dokic, Mary Pierce and Bernard Tomic to name a few.

It all starts at junior level.

“You see parents shouting at children all the time in tennis,” Griffiths tells BBC Sport. “There’s a lack of understanding on how they should behave… on how they could help their child to blossom into the athlete that they should become.”

And it can get out of hand.

“We’ve had situations here before where unfortunately we’ve had to call the police because the parents’ behaviour is getting that far out of control,” says Chris Johnson, head coach at Sutton Coldfield Tennis Club, where he has worked for 36 years.

“They won’t listen, they think they can get away with anything, they don’t respect the referees, it can get a bit ugly.”

Both are clear that behaviour like that does not happen in isolation and that it is the environment tennis creates that makes parents behave this way.

So, why is that and what needs to change?

Tennis can be intense for parents.

There is transport to arrange, coaching to fund, and a complicated player pathway to navigate. In some cases there’s even private tutoring to arrange if their child has left mainstream school to focus on the sport.

“You do get on a bit of a hamster wheel”, says John from Derbyshire, whose 11-year-old son Harrison is a promising player. “It’s 12 months of the year, indoor courts and outdoor courts.”

Children can start a form of tennis from the age of four on a modified court. The Lawn Tennis Association’s (LTA) performance pathway for the most promising juniors supports players from the age of seven on their journey to potentially becoming a Grand Slam champion.

Competitions are grouped according to age and start aged eight and under.

And the ratings and rankings you get from doing them are one way to get noticed.

So when does it start to get serious?

“The minute they start playing their first competition,” according to Johnson.

Does he think that is right?

“Absolutely not.

“A lot of adults can’t cope with the pressures of playing an individual sport and then they’re expecting young children to be able to do so.”

Steve Whelan, a coach working in St Albans with nearly three decades of experience, agrees that the system places too much emphasis on winning at a young age.

“It just creates this race to the bottom because parents are chasing ratings and rankings,” he says.

He tells parents: “These are not tennis players. They are kids who play tennis and there’s a big difference.”

The LTA says it undertook a “comprehensive review” of its rating and ranking system in 2018 “specifically to address the issue of putting too much pressure on children at too young an age.”

Now players can’t be ranked nationally against their peers until they reach the under-11 age group, with younger children from eight and up organised into competition based on recent form – a rating.

When it comes to parental behaviour the LTA says like any sport “there are occasions when a small minority of parents do not uphold the standards of behaviour expected”. The governing body will soon be launching a new initiative called Fair Play, to promote positive parent behaviour and support coaches.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Few could fault U.S. men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino for being as obvious as possible with his heavily-rotated team for Thursday’s game against Turkiye, even if it was a bit comical upon first glance. Then again, the concept of a dead rubber game at a World Cup, where the stakes are as high as they could ever be, is hilarious in its own right. It is fitting, then, that the USMNT’s defense was also funny in its own right, a batch of mistakes ensuring the team would come out with a 3-2 defeat in a game that offered a strange pause to the upward momentum the tournament co-hosts had otherwise experienced.

Things seemed to be off to a strong start when Auston Trusty, in his first World Cup start, notched his first World Cup goal just three minutes in. Even with nine changes to the team that started in the 2-0 win over Australia on Friday, the group seemed to be embodying Pochettino’s high-intensity ethos – they did outshoot Turkiye eight to four in the first half, dominating the early stretch of the game fully. Sebastian Berhalter’s assist on Trusty’s goal also offered further validation for Pochettino’s roster selections; the midfielder’s set-piece prowess is his greatest strength.

It all unraveled fairly quickly, though. Center back Mark McKenzie – another first-time World Cup starter – was unimpressive on Adra Guler’s goal in the 10th minute, as was goalkeeper understudy Matt Turner. About 20 minutes later, it was Joe Scally’s turn to look unfit for the job as Orkun Kokcu as he gave Turkiye a long-awaited lead.

Call It What You Want is your front-row seat as the USMNT takes center stage at the 2026 World Cup. The crew delivers live reactions, analysis, and debate before and after every game. Catch new episodes live on the Golazo America YouTube channel

That trio was far from the only unimpressive figures for the USMNT on Thursday at SoFi Stadium. Tim Weah did little to make a case for himself as a starter, nearly four years removed from being the USMNT’s starter on the left wing, almost nonexistent on the pitch along with the other starters in attack. The intensity they started with faded before the hydration break midway through the first half, both teams almost ending the first 45 minutes in listless form.

If it was a good game for anyone, though, it was for the frequent starters who took in the first half from the bench. Not a single person who replaced them bolstered their argument to enter the lineup when Wednesday’s round of 32 game comes around. The loss to Turkiye was far from entertaining, at times uninspiring but also offered a stark reminder that the USMNT are one team with their best players and an entirely different team without them, their bench perhaps not as deep as it had seemed in the wins over Paraguay and Australia.

It is not an actual surprise, either – Pochettino’s USMNT struggled in the build-up to the World Cup in large part because he was always missing a key starter or two. The U.S. can survive Christian Pulisic’s absence, much as it did against Australia, but that is because the rest of their mainstays were in place. Defender Chris Richards and midfielder Tyler Adams remain as irreplaceable as anybody but so many other players hold singular roles on this national team, it turns out. Sergino Dest’s dynamism on the wing is hard to replicate; Folarin Balogun keeps opposition defenders busy in a way few of his teammates can; even Tim Ream, the elder statesman who draws the ire of the fanbase on the regular, offers more stability than the players who usually sit on the bench in his place.

Even amidst all that mediocrity, though, there is little reason to reduce the sense of optimism that this team carried into their Group D finale. None of these players missed Thursday’s game by force. They simply got the night off, a chance to take a breather before an all-important game, and now without the burden of yellow cards that could get them suspended for a subsequent game. Some of the starters against Turkiye are also more likely to plug themselves in nicely to a full-strength team – Ricardo Pepi proved against Australia that he serves a real function as a pressing forward, while Gio Reyna’s substitute appearance and goal against Paraguay offered a reminder that he is still a talented player with a unique skillset in the U.S. player pool.

The reminder came during the game, too. Christian Pulisic’s entrance in the 58th minute was not only a welcome sight for a player who missed the Australia game with a calf issue but almost rejuvenated the U.S. team on his own. Within minutes of coming on for Weah, he sped down the left flank and created a chance that Brenden Aaronson attempted to capitalize on. Whether it was single-handedly down to his conclusion or the result of a mentality shift, the USMNT’s multi-pronged press seemed to return when Pulisic did. They had a batch of chances in the minutes after his substitution, looking more like the team that clinched top spot in the group a week ago.

It paved the way for a redemption arc of sorts in the second half, during which they went on to outshoot Turkiye 10-4 and limited the opponents two shots on target, a return to form for the team that set a World Cup record for most shots taken without scoring. Berhalter also stood out even in a mixed bag of a game for the group. He is not exactly amongst the caliber of the USMNT’s starters in midfield but he is an incredibly useful player regardless, his meteoric rise justified roughly a year after he earned his first cap. Trusty’s goal was one example in his expertise on dead-ball situations and Berhalter’s equalizer in the 49th minute another – that play also started on a set piece but he really can hit a ball expertly and did just that, all while becoming the USMNT’s first player ever to get a goal and an assist in a World Cup game.

There was one final reminder that a roared version of the USMNT were taking part in this game rather than the real deal, however. Arda Guler kicked off a play and a sustained round of pressure ensured Kaan Ayhan would score with the final kick of the game, the prospect of a cheery group stage finale already dashed for the World Cup co-hosts but officially gone with one fell swoop.

The uneven outing, though, also rings true to the USMNT’s identity under Pochettino, no matter who is in the starting lineup. This team is not known for their defensive traits but will be carried by a group of talented attackers, several who are in career-best form, all of whom are a perfect fit for a coach who has always valued an offense-first approach. It worked at times on Thursday, if not for the entirety of the 90-minute game, which is somewhat encouraging in its own right. Coupled with the team’s recent performances, both at the World Cup and their final pre-tournament friendlies, it is more than enough to remind everyone that their aim of a statement-making run is still well on track.

United are reportedly prepared to accept a financial hit on Manuel Ugarte as they seek to move him on. The Uruguayan midfielder has failed to justify his £42.3million transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024, with United unlikely to recoup their investment, highlighting the player’s precarious position.

It’s reported that the club’s bosses are willing to accept a financial hit on Ugarte this summer. It is suggested that his departure would encourage Carrick’s team to pursue a third midfielder, following Ederson’s arrival and the club’s chase for West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes.

INEOS, which handles football matters at United, would require Ugarte to be sold for £25.38m for United to prevent a loss under profitability and sustainability regulations after the midfielder penned a deal until 2029. Nevertheless, the 25-year-old’s salary could present a stumbling block for prospective buyers and keep him at Old Trafford this summer.

For the third time in WNBA history, a player has scored 53 points.

Toronto Tempo star Marina Mabrey tied the single-game scoring record with 53 points in a dominant 125-94 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday night. Only A’ja Wilson and Liz Cambage have reached that 53-point mark before Mabrey.

Mabrey, who poured in nine three-pointers in the win, helped the Tempo set the highest point total scored in a regulation game in WNBA history. The Phoenix Mercury scored 127 points in a 2010 game, though it was double overtime.

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Marina Mabrey of the Toronto Tempo gestures during the second half of a WNBA game against the Los Angeles Sparks at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto on June 25, 2026. Mabrey tied the WNBA single-game scoring record with 53 points. (Tara Walton/Getty Images)

Mabrey was clearly feeling it in this game, scoring 27 points by halftime. Then, she poured in 12 more by the end of the third quarter, giving herself an incredible 39 points.

With the game seemingly out of reach, it was clear that the Tempo were feeding Mabrey in hopes that she could set a new WNBA record. Mabrey was launching three-pointers and drilling them, and she ultimately reached the 53-point mark as the crowd cheered her on throughout the flurry of points.

TORONTO TEMPO LOOK TO USE HOME COURT EDGE AGAINST CHICAGO SKY IN BATTLE OF FLAWED WNBA ROSTERS

Mabrey had time to get the record all to herself, as there were about two minutes left on the clock to get the job done. However, her last two three-point attempts didn’t go through the hoop, and she checked out of the game with just over a minute left to play.

The crowd gave her a loud roar of approval and a standing ovation, while Mabrey’s Tempo teammates congratulated the veteran on a historic night.

Marina Mabrey of the Toronto Tempo celebrates after tying the all-time WNBA scoring record with 53 points in a game against the Los Angeles Sparks at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto on June 25, 2026. (Mark Blinch/NBAE)

It was also a special night thanks to Mabrey’s sister, Michaela, who starred alongside her at Notre Dame after the two rose through the New Jersey girls basketball ranks, being in attendance.

Michaela ran right onto the floor after the final horn blew and hugged her sister in a heartfelt moment that will surely be remembered by the Mabrey family.

Mabrey stated in a post-game interview that her sister doesn’t get to see her play too often, making this one that much more special.

“None of this happens without my teammates. They really found me,” Marina said. “For a three-point shooter, you need your teammates to set screens and deliver the pass, and that’s what they did.”

Marina Mabrey of the Toronto Tempo reacts during the second half of a WNBA game against the Los Angeles Sparks at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto on June 25, 2026. Mabrey tied the WNBA single-game scoring record with 53 points. (Tara Walton/Getty Images)

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It’s the inaugural season for the Tempo, an expansion team that put together this squad through an expansion draft. Mabrey has been a key cog in their early season, totaling 37 points last week to set the franchise’s highest point total for a game. That’s obviously going to be much harder to break now.

Mabrey’s final line read 17-of-28 and 9-of-18 from three-point territory for her 53-point total. She also tallied six rebounds and two assists in the victory.

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The Netherlands secured top spot in Group F after a comfortable 3-1 victory over Tunisia, while Sweden booked their place in the Round of 32 with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Japan.

The Dutch made a flying start against Tunisia in Kansas City, taking the lead after just three minutes when Tunisia captain Ellyes Skhiri turned a cross from Denzel Dumfries into his own net.

Brian Brobbey doubled the advantage four minutes later, scoring his third goal of the tournament after a header from captain Virgil van Dijk was played across goal.

The Netherlands controlled the match and created numerous chances, finishing with 20 shots.

Tunisia pulled a goal back in the second half through Hazem Mastouri, who headed home from a corner after a defensive error by the Dutch.

However, the Netherlands restored their two-goal lead when defender Jan Paul van Hecke nodded in from a corner, with the ball taking a slight deflection on its way into the net.

The victory ensured that coach Ronald Koeman’s side finished top of Group F and set up a last-32 clash with Morocco.

Tunisia ended their disappointing campaign at the bottom of the group, having lost all three matches and conceded 12 goals.

In the other Group F fixture, Sweden came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw against Japan and secure their place in the knockout rounds.

After a quiet first half, Japan took the lead in the 56th minute when Daizen Maeda finished off a fine move involving Ayase Ueda and Ritsu Doan.

Sweden responded just six minutes later through Anthony Elanga, who scored a stunning long-range effort on his first start of the tournament.

The Newcastle United winger cut inside from the left before firing a powerful shot beyond goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.

Sweden pushed for a winner late on, with Elanga and Alexander Isak both testing Suzuki, but Japan held on to secure second place in the group.

The result means Japan will face Brazil in the Round of 32, while Sweden, under coach Graham Potter, have also progressed and will discover their opponents later.

Group F Final Standings

Qualified: Netherlands, Japan

Qualified as one of the best third-placed teams: Sweden

Eliminated: Tunisia

Mason Greenwood has dropped a major hint over his Olympique de Marseille future, and Manchester United will be watching developments very closely

Mason Greenwood has dealt Manchester United a fresh blow by agreeing personal terms with Fenerbahce. Greenwood had been vocal in his desire to remain at Marseille, especially given that his contract at the club runs until June 2029.

But his time in France looks to be ending, as L’Equipe reports that Fenerbahce has successfully negotiated a lucrative contract package with his representatives.

However, even though Marseille want €50m for Greenwood this summer, the Super Lig club won’t pay more than €30m plus add-ons.

This is bad news for United, who are entitled to 40 percent of any agreed fee because they inserted a 40 percent sell-on clause into the deal when they sold Greenwood to the Ligue 1 outfit.

The more money Marseille get, the better for United, and there is still hope that AS Roma could enter the bidding.

Reports from Italy claim that Gian Piero Gasperini is convinced that Greenwood represents the ideal wide player to fit into his 3-4-3 formation, but the Serie A side are having to focus on sales in order to balance their books before June 30.

Greenwood, who has not played for United since January 2022, scored 26 times in 44 appearances for Marseille last season, but that didn’t stop him from receiving criticism for some of his performances.

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Following his side’s 3-0 defeat to Nantes last month, France World Cup winner Christophe Dugarry branded Greenwood a ‘disgrace’.

The Marseille legend fumed: “You are the leader of this team, everyone depends on you. When you’re not there, everyone feels your absence. And what do you give back after all those sacrifices? This? You’re a disgrace, get out.

“That’s the money you’ll make for the club, but no one will cry for you. What he did against Nantes is shameful. I saw him walking around. At times I just looked at him and he was pretending. He doesn’t care.”

South Africa secured a historic place in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over South Korea on Wednesday.

Bafana Bafana completed a remarkable turnaround after suffering a heavy defeat and two red cards against hosts Mexico in their opening match. They bounced back with a dramatic late win before sealing qualification with another crucial victory.

The decisive moment came in the 63rd minute when Thapelo Maseko fired a superb left-footed shot into the bottom corner after being picked out by Moremi. The goal lifted South Africa above South Korea into second place in the group.

The achievement is particularly significant as South Africa had failed to progress beyond the group stage in their previous World Cup appearances in 1998, 2002 and 2010.

Captain Ronwen Williams revealed that criticism before the tournament helped motivate the team.

“Everybody was against us. We used that as energy to fight today. It’s amazing what we achieved,” Williams said.

South Korea started brightly and almost took the lead inside two minutes, but Kim Min-jae’s header was cleared off the line by Aubrey Modiba. Lee Kang-in also went close shortly afterwards as the Koreans dominated the early exchanges.

South Africa gradually settled into the contest and nearly broke the deadlock in the 19th minute when Maseko raced through on goal, only for Lee Gi-hyuk to make a crucial last-ditch tackle.

South Korea goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu then produced an excellent double save to deny Thalente Mbatha and Evidence Makgopa before the break.

Despite creating few chances in the second half, South Africa found the breakthrough through Maseko’s clinical finish, a goal that ultimately secured a famous victory.

The result sends Bafana Bafana into the knockout phase for the first time in their history. They will now face Canada with another piece of history on the line and a place in the last 16 up for grabs.

South Korea, meanwhile, remain in contention to qualify as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams, but they will be left wondering what might have been after failing to take their chances.

The Minnesota Vikings hired general manager Nolan Teasley, formerly a front office executive in Seattle, earlier this month — and former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman emphatically endorses the move.

Teasley replaces Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who was fired in January due to poor drafts and quarterback decision-making, and Teasley will embark on a full offseason next February. In the meantime, Sherman believes the addition will net dividends for the Vikings.

Seattle Voices Keep Backing Minnesota’s New Boss

Sherman on Teasley

Teasley crossed paths with Sherman for four seasons in Seattle, which should explain Sherman’s adoration.

Sherman said this week, “It’s really incredible, and it’s fantastic, and I love it. He’s a guy who works incredibly hard, a guy who cares about the players, he cares about his job, he cares about the organizations.”

“He’s put in the time, and that’s the hard part for a lot of people who get in these positions, is they haven’t worked themselves through, they haven’t taken the stairs to the top. A lot of people get the elevator, and then you get to the top, and you don’t know how to operate.”

Minnesota interviewed nine candidates for the general manager vacancy, and the Teasley choice turned heads because he was the only contender truly outside the organization without preexisting ties.

“When you take the stairs, you know how the building operates. You know what the first floor does, you know what the second floor does, you know what the third floor does. And I think that’s important in leadership and the guys you put in leadership positions,” Sherman continued.

“I think he’s going to do a fantastic job for the Minnesota Vikings, and I’m excited to see it.”

Universal Fan Acceptance as Well

In addition to Sherman’s high praise, the Vikings’ fan base was all in on Teasley. It’s pretty rare for fans on social media to agree on anything — take a look back at the continuous fracas of the Kirk Cousins era from 2018 to 2023 — but when it comes to Teasley, few complained.

It helps that the Seahawks just won a Super Bowl, and there’s just no debating that Teasley’s resume is impressive. He’s also straight business; when reporters asked him questions at his introductory press conference a few weeks ago, he basically delivered canned answers without spilling the beans.

In short, Minnesota needs an executive who drafts well after the gruesome Adofo-Mensah era. Per Teasley’s resume and modus operandi, that’s his strength.

The Background

Teasley began his career in 2013 as a scouting intern in Seattle and rose to assistant general manager, where he primarily excelled in professional personnel. This is momentous because he has been deeply involved in critical gameday operations, including scouting, free agency, trades, undrafted free agents, player development, and talent evaluation.

Minnesota sought more than just an executive with an impressive title. They needed someone with over a decade of experience in talent identification and roster construction for a successful organization. Teasley checked those boxes.

The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis noted in late May, “Teasley won out because of his strong football acumen,’ according to several team sources. Teasley held a leadership position on a Seahawks staff that has made nine playoff appearances, reached the Super Bowl three times and emerged with two Lombardi trophies in 13 seasons.”

“The Vikings respected Seahawks GM John Schneider’s structure and disposition from afar. The chance to pair Teasley with Brzezinski’s expertise and head coach Kevin O’Connell sold the Vikings on a trio of experts capable of forming alignment.”

How to Contend with the Rams?

While Teasley may not make a bevy of moves before the start of the regular season — Rob Brzezinski did all that from January through May — his first task will be figuring out how to combat the Los Angeles Rams.

Los Angeles recently traded with the Cleveland Browns for EDGE rusher Myles Garrett, a sure-fire Hall of Famer who twisted in the trade rumor for about a year. The Rams arguably had the top roster in the sport before the Garrett trade; now, they could be unstoppable.

Hell, defensive tackle Aaron Donald may end his retirement to run with Garrett and Sean McVay one more time.

The Vikings have professed all-in Super Bowl stakes in 2026 — it’s why they signed Kyler Murray in March — so Teasley must figure out how to beat the Rams. He may not want to trade draft picks for players before selecting a single rookie on the job, but prior to the November trade deadline, he might be forced to examine everything if his team has a winning record.

Beating the Rams in the postseason will not be easy. They have everything.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

The United States men’s national team’s World Cup group stage concluded on Thursday as the Americans lost 3-2 to Turkiye in a match that meant nothing for positioning, finishing Group D with six points and a date with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday in the round of 32.

While the Americans were unable to sweep the group stage matches for the first time in history, facing an already-eliminated Turkiye brought some challenges, but in a heavily rotated side for Mauricio Pochettino, they’ll take the experience as one to learn from as they move forward.

But how did the players perform? Here are our player ratings:

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Matt Turner

USA • GK • #1

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Conceded three goals and never looked all that confident. His defense did let him down though, especially on the third goal.

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Auston Trusty

USA • D • #6

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Got his first USMNT goal with a nice strike in the opening minutes in a thrilling moment. Defensively, he was outmatched and lacked consistency. Rolled his ankle as time wound down.

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Miles Robinson

USA • D • #12

Late to react and sometimes a step slow. The effort is there, but he’s not pushing for a starting spot anytime soon. USMNT’s defense struggled and he was a big part of it.

Mark McKenzie

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USA • D • #22

Embraced the physical nature of Turkiye but lacked the technical ability to stay toe-to-toe with their best attacking players. Arder Guler feasted on this back line.

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Weston McKennie

USA • M • #8

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Brought the energy and had some positive moments going forward. Captained the team and sat deep in the middle. Solid but not in the spot where he can be best. He’ll welcome the return of midfield partner Tyler Adams.

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Giovanni Reyna

USA • M • #7

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Very quiet. Had a couple decent balls in but nothing more. A far cry from what we saw off the bench versus Paraguay. Once again didn’t seize an opportunity for more minutes.

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Sebastian Berhalter

USA • M • #14

Stock is rising with a goal and an assist. The truth is, he can hit a ball. Great accuracy on his corner and boy did he hit his goal sweetly with a low rocket. May just be the guy off the bench.

Brenden Aaronson

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USA • M • #11

Quiet for most of the match. Didn’t get the looks he would have wanted in the attacking third in the first half. Could have been more useful if he was a bit more central. Missed an open rebound in second half. He’s great at annoying the opposition by pressing, but doesn’t bring much else.

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Ricardo Pepi

USA • F • #9

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Almost forgot he was playing, to be honest. Was more involved early in the second half but was a little delayed in making his runs. A classic case of a shoot first striker starved for service.

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Timothy Weah

USA • F • #21

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Not a night to remember. His touch was off, his awareness was too. The only thing he did effectively was play the ball backwards, out of trouble. When the striker doesn’t touch the ball odds on bet is that the wingers struggled to get it to him

Subs

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Christian Pulisic

USA • M • #10

Super lively off the bench. Created trouble and nearly scored a golazo with his left foot. It’s good to have him back from injury.

Alex Freeman

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USA • D • #16

Came off the bench and was decent, but got caught helping others on the winning goal, leaving his player unmarked at the back post.

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Sergino Dest

USA • D • #2

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Came off the bench and had just eight touches. Did create a chance.

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Alex Zendejas

USA • F • #26

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Like the energy he brings off the bench. Can really go at players and needed a run out.

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Malik Tillman

USA • M • #17

Late sub who barely got to touch the ball.

In the continental battle of the North American hosts, Mexico stand on top after three rounds. The question now is: who can stay in the heat of battle the longest?

It is undeniable that any World Cup is a better spectacle when a second-tier host nation comes to the party: be it Sweden in 1958, South Korea in 2002 or Russia in 2018. The beauty of this year’s tournament is that there are three and while all of them have progressed rather comfortably to the last-32 , only the Mexicans have a perfect record to their name. For the United States, this was not so much a reality check as a reminder of how quickly a contest can drift into the hands of your opponent, especially when chances are not converted at this level.

Has their momentum been stymied by a last-gasp Turkish sucker-punch? Perhaps a smidge. Yet the hard facts are that a last-32 date in Santa Clara next Wednesday, which we now know will be against Bosnia and Herzegovina, was already assured after an electrifying opening two matches. And still, a few key objectives for Mauricio Pochettino on Thursday night were executed. Emerge unscathed in the injury department? Tick. Onto the knockouts unimpacted by needless suspensions? Tick. Re-introduce star man Christian Pulisic into the World Cup fray? Tick.

Pulisic’s comeback from a 13-day absence due to a calf injury is particularly timely and significant, six days before the real business begins once more. Here, the AC Milan winger, his country’s undisputed starlet, looked lively, nippy and completely unperturbed by his near two-week lay-off. In fact, with more fortune and accuracy, he would have netted his first goal of the tournament: a shot well-saved, a ricochet that hit the post and a curling effort just wide. The US manager, and the excitable public watching on across this vast land, will hope that it will burn a fire deep within the 27-year-old as they head up the West Coast next week.

Is he fit enough to start in six days? Surely, one thinks.

Yet paradoxically after such a wretched first two games, in nicking a winner with the last kick of the game courtesy of substitute Kaan Ayhan, Turkey haven’t just shown up late to the party with three drinks in tow; the dance has been and gone and everyone has trotted off and found a cab to their next destination. They end their time in the US with a victory which will, undeniably, make them feel a sorry sense of what if. Defeats to Australia and Paraguay had already been their undoing and they will fly back to Europe out of LAX on Friday morning after another tournament of underachievement.

For a match with nothing riding on it, such is the convoluted and somewhat mystifying decision to make head-to-head the group-stage tie-breaker over goal-difference, this one started out at a rate of knots. Pochettino made nine changes to his starting XI – the fourth-most alterations from one game to another in World Cup history – yet the US started where they left off 13 days ago against Paraguay in this 70,000-seater greenhouse in Inglewood.

One of those reinforcements, Celtic defender Auston Trusty, rifled in at the back post to open the scoring, sprinting in jubilation to his bench to celebrate. At two minutes and 14 seconds, it was the second-fastest US goal in World Cup history, after Clint Dempsey’s 30-second strike against Ghana in 2014. Yet the lead did not last long and, for a beleguered Turkey outfit, there was finally something to shout about for their midfielder wonderkid.

Tipped to be a shining light this summer, Real Madrid playmaker Arda Guler will head home with a World Cup goal to his name. Teed up in the box by striker Baris Alper Yilmaz, Guler controlled delicately with his right before smashing home with his left beyond back-up US keeper Matt Turner. For a side who held the unceremonious statistic of the most shots at this World Cup without a goal – 62, the most-ever in the first two rounds without finding the back of the net – it was a rare moment of joy.

Twenty minutes later, Guler was at the centre of Turkey’s second, slipping in Eren Elmali in the box whose cut-back found Besiktas’ Orkun Kokcu, who diverted into the corner. Coming just seconds after US centre back Mark McKenzie had a goal ruled out for offside, it was a tough pill to swallow – or at least as tough as it can be, in a dead rubber of a game.

Pochettino resisted making changes at the interval and his loyalty to his back-up troops – even if he may stray away from terms such as “second-string” – was quickly rewarded. From a set-piece, the ball broke to midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, son of former head coach Gregg, who smashed home with his right foot at the near-post.

Yet beyond a goal or the plethora of celebrities shown on the 70,000-square-foot Infinity Screen hovering above the pitch – for Leonardo DiCaprio hiding behind a Coca-Cola bottle, you also had Paris Hilton elaboratively dancing and waving – nothing could stimulate this fanbase more than the arrival of Pulisic onto the pitch.

Pochettino gave his star asset just over 30 minutes to acclimatise to proceedings and he almost made an immediate impact as he worked Turkey keeper Ugurcan Cakir before Brenden Aaronson inexplicably struck the rebound wide; a sight Leeds fans will be all too accustomed to seeing.

Minutes later, a ricochet off Pulisic hit the post before he went whiskers wide with a curling left-foot effort. Chants of “USA, USA” saw their side to the close and an all-square scoreline looked inevitable before, out of nothing, Ayhan tapped home Can Uzun’s cross with the last kick of the game, following a delicious Guler nut-meg on, of all people, Pulisic. The licking of Turkish wounds will be made more palatable after their late flourish.

Yet for the US, despite the late blow, it should be rather simple to look ahead, as their squad and manager enter a period a decade in the making. Momentum has not veered irretrievably off course. How far can the ride take them? An expectant public waits with giddy anticipation.