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Arda Guler said Türkiye had no reason to play down criticism after the national team ended its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a 3-2 win over the United States in Los Angeles.
Türkiye finished Group D, the first-stage pool in which teams compete for qualification, with 3 points and went out in last place despite goals from Guler, Orkun Kokcu and Kaan Ayhan.
The United States, which had already gone ahead early in the match through Trusty, was beaten by Türkiye's stoppage-time winner.
After the match, Guler said he accepted the reaction to Türkiye's World Cup performance and added that the players had to stand with those who were disappointed.
The Real Madrid midfielder said he did not play well and that the team had not performed as expected.
He also made clear that Türkiye could not turn the situation into an emotional excuse, saying: "We cannot make drama out of this. We played badly and were eliminated."
Guler said all criticism was justified because the team had fallen short, adding that he hoped Türkiye would make up for it in future matches.
Ayhan said the biggest criticism would come from inside the team, describing the match as highly emotional because Türkiye had needed to win. He said the players could not fully celebrate the result, but added that things would get better from this point.
Ozan Kabak said the team had deeply upset its supporters in the first two matches, but argued that the players gave everything in the final game and showed what the group was capable of. He added that the tournament had not gone the way Türkiye wanted and that lessons had to be taken from it.
Kokcu said leaving the match with a win had been very important because the team's honor and pride were at stake. He also said everyone needed to carry out self-criticism, while noting that it was not the right time to say too much.
Salih Ozcan said Türkiye wanted to show its real face in the final match and that the team had been obliged to win. He added that the squad had deserved more from the tournament.
The match had begun badly for Türkiye when Trusty put the United States ahead in the third minute, but Guler brought the game level in the 10th minute. Kokcu then completed the first-half turnaround in the 31st minute, giving Türkiye a 2-1 lead before the interval.
The United States came back early in the second half through Berhalter, who scored in the 49th minute after a long throw from McKenzie led to a loose ball outside the area.
Pulisic later created danger twice, but Ugurcan Cakir kept Türkiye in the match by blocking one effort and tipping another onto the post.
Türkiye found the winning goal in the eighth minute of added time, when Can Uzun's effort deflected into the path of Kaan Ayhan, who finished from close range to seal the 3-2 win.
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