USMNT Player Ratings: Who stood out in 2-1 loss to Türkiye?

The United States Men's National Team fell 2-1 to Türkiye on Saturday afternoon. The first match of their 2025 Gold Cup camp was the first chance for a new-look roster to get a match under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, with key players like Christian Pulisic, Antonee "Jedi" Robinson, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Yunus Musah unavailable.

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The United States opened the scoring after just 59 seconds via Houston Dynamo midfielder Jack McGlynn, but conceded twice within three minutes after controlling much of the first half. The Yanks came out of halftime improved, and created more than enough chances to pull level, but were wasteful in front of goal.

They'll return to action on Tuesday night, taking on 20th-ranked Switzerland at Nashville's Geodis Park.

Here's how each player performed on Saturday. For clarity, these rankings are on a 1-10 scale. Each player starts with a base grade of 6 and can increase or decrease their rating based on performance. Players must play a minimum of 15 minutes to earn a rating.

Matt Freese - 6.5

Making his international debut, the New York City goalkeeper was tidy in possession and wasn't at fault for either goal. He's been deserving of a chance after several years of stellar MLS play.

Stock: Up

Max Arfsten - 5.5

The Columbus Crew wingback started on the left of Pochettino's back four, and was the more advanced of the two fullbacks. He got forward in great spots and his two-footedness gives him a different dimension, but his service was surprisingly off and he wasted two good chances in front of goal.

Stock: Unchanged

Chris Richards - 7.0

Richards wore the captain's armband on the night and was easily the best of the three centerbacks who saw the field. His distribution was tidy, and while he didn't take many risks in possession, he also didn't make any mistakes. Had a couple crucial tackles in the second half.

Stock: Up

Miles Robinson - 5.0

It wasn't a stellar outing for the FC Cincinnati defender. He was calm in possession, completing 97% of his passes, but was heavily culpable for Türkiye's winner, stepping high into midfield and missing a challenge to start the chance, and scuffing a clearance straight to Kerem Aktürkoğlu for an easy finish.

Stock: Down

Alex Freeman - 5.5

The 20-year-old Orlando City right back made his USMNT debut after a meteoric rise in MLS this season but couldn't replicate his club form on Saturday. Playing as a more stay-at-home defender, he often tucked inside to form a back three, a different role than we've seen from him with Orlando, and one that doesn't really highlight his best qualities. In the second half he got into more advanced spots, but his service wasn't up to par.

Stock: Unchanged

Johnny Cardoso - 3.5

Cardoso gave away the equalizer to Türkiye with an absolute howler, taking too many touches in his own box and compounding his mistake with a horrible attempt at a pass, trying to find Arfsten with an outside-the-boot pass instead of keeping it simple. Minutes later, he coughed up the ball in midfield and nearly conceded a third goal, and was deservedly pulled at halftime.

Stock: Down

Luca de la Torre - 6.5

The San Diego FC midfielder has quietly been one of the top performers in MLS this year, and showed flashes of that on Saturday. He picked up great positions to receive the ball in midfield and was able to get on the half-turn and drive possession forward. However, he was also rather inefficient in the final third on an afternoon when the US needed more quality.

Stock: Unchanged

Diego Luna - 7.0

Wearing the No. 10 shirt, Luna was given a free-roaming role on the left wing. He was fairly quiet in the first half but grew into the match as proceedings went on, eventually creating a few decent half chances and circulating the ball well. His defensive work-rate was unsurprisingly excellent, and he's one of the few real wildcards in this player pool heading into 2026.

Stock: Up

Malik Tillman - 7.0

The PSV man was solid-if-unspectacular playing as the No. 10 in Pochettino's 4-2-3-1. He picked up excellent pockets from which to operate, was clean with his touch and found a few clever passes to advance possession. He also had the biggest miss of the night, directing a header from point-blank range straight at goalkeeper Berke Özer when the most basic of finishes would have been a goal.

Stock: Unchanged

Jack McGlynn - 7.5

After a strong showing at last summer's Paris Olympics, the Houston Dynamo midfielder played in a different role as an inverted right midfielder. He grabbed his first-ever international goal in spectacular fashion with a long-range strike in the opening minute, and was consistently involved during his 65-minute shift. He combined well going forward and got the ball in some really promising spots, but had a few moments where he opted to shoot instead of picking a more productive option.

Stock: Up

Patrick Agyemang - 5.5

Playing just minutes from where he grew up, the Charlotte FC striker did a lot of the dirty work well, holding up the ball diligently and trying to play against a formidable backline with his back to goal. His passing and link-up play was inconsistent, though, and when he started to get more consistent looks at goal in the second half, his finishing touch let him down.

Stock: Down

Substitutes

Tyler Adams - 7.5

On as a halftime substitute, the Bournemouth midfielder showed why he's a captain for this group. He covered the entire pitch with a typically fantastic two-way engine, and brought some real quality and progression with his passing.

Stock: Up

Mark McKenzie - 6.0

Another halftime entry, McKenzie was fine in his 45 minutes. He didn't do anything spectacular, but also didn't make any mistakes, an upgrade to the first half. Had a couple solid recovery runs late in the game.

Stock: Unchanged

Quinn Sullivan - 5.5

Another debutant, Sullivan wasn't afraid to take on players 1-v-1, but the quality of his delivery and decision making in the final third left something to be desired.

Stock: Unchanged

Nathan Harriel - 6.0

The fifth Philadelphia Union academy product to see the pitch, Harriel played a somewhat unfamiliar left back role reliably. He was generally efficient with the ball and showed off his pace to cut out a few late Türkiye counter attacks.

Stock: Unchanged

Haji Wright - 5.5

The Coventry City winger didn't make much of an impact in his 25 minutes, struggling to get involved.

Stock: Unchanged

Brian White - 6.0

White came on for the final 15 minutes plus stoppage time and brought a needed burst of energy to the attack. His movement was smart, and he improved the passing and link-up play from the No. 9 position. He deserves a chance to start in Nashville.

Stock: Up

Manager

Mauricio Pochettino - 6.5

The result obviously wasn't ideal, but aside from the two self-inflicted goals, this wasn't a disastrous performance. The US held the ball well and controlled the flow of much of the game, and they created plenty of quality chances.

Importantly, they played with intensity, something that's been missing in recent months, but should also be the absolute bare minimum for anyone wearing the United States crest. To his credit, there was a lot to like about how his team approached this match, and they didn't look out of place against a Türkiye side with more player-for-player experience at the highest levels of the game. It at least showed potential for growth.

Stock: Unchanged

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