The U.S. lost to Turkey and still won Group D — and now all three hosts are in the Round of 32

A dead-rubber defeat, and still first

The loss looked bad on the scoreboard and meant almost nothing in the table. The United States had already sealed top spot in Group D before kickoff, with a 4-1 win over Paraguay and a 2-0 win over Australia. So the U.S. rested players who were a yellow card away from a knockout-round suspension — defenders Antonee Robinson and Chris Richards, midfielder Tyler Adams and forward Folarin Balogun — and eased Christian Pulisic back to the bench after a calf problem. A win would have been history of a sort: the American men have never won more than two games at a single World Cup. It did not come.

Turkey, already eliminated, took the chance. They scored their first goals of the tournament and won 3-2, with Arda Guler among the scorers and Kaan Ayhan striking in stoppage time. It was Turkey's only win of the World Cup. The final Group D table: the U.S. on six points, Australia and Paraguay on four, Turkey on three. Australia and Paraguay drew 0-0 head to head, so Australia went through second on overall goal difference; Paraguay finished third and must wait on the best-third math.

All three hosts are in

The American result completed a clean sweep for the tournament's organizers. Mexico, the first team to qualify this tournament, won Group A with three wins and a perfect nine points — its first-ever group sweep at a World Cup. The United States topped Group D despite the final-day loss. Canada came through as runner-up in Group B, behind a Switzerland side that stayed unbeaten and confirmed top spot with a 2-1 win over the Canadians. This is the first World Cup hosted by three countries, and the first in which all three hosts have reached the knockout stage.

Turkey's miscalculation

Turkey had arrived as a popular dark-horse pick, built around 21-year-old attackers Arda Guler of Real Madrid and Kenan Yildiz of Juventus. Instead they lost their opener 2-0 to Australia and then 1-0 to a 10-man Paraguay, and were out before they had even scored. Their players apologized to supporters. "We had high expectations. All of our country was supporting us," Yildiz said this week. Beating the host nation on the last day was pride, nothing more. In the same group, Australia — one of a record nine Asian teams at this World Cup — advanced in second.

What it means for readers in Japan

As Group D winner, the United States plays its Round of 32 match next Wednesday, July 1, at the San Francisco Bay Area stadium in Santa Clara. The opponent is not set yet. Under the bracket, the winner of Group D meets a third-placed team from Group B, E, F, I or J — and Group F's third-placed side is Sweden, the team Japan drew 1-1 with on the final day. In other words, the side Japan just held could end up facing a host nation. Whether Sweden is among the eight best third-placed teams will be decided by the remaining final group matches on June 27 and 28.