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Those hoping to root on the United States in their final group stage match against Turkiye on Thursday night will have to stay up late.
They don't kick off until 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. Pacific).
That's a bit annoying to fans who look at the World Cup schedule and see action taking place all day.
In reality, though, this makes sense.
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Why is the USMNT game starting so late?
It's a simple answer here: time zones.
The U.S. is playing Turkiye at SoFi Stadium in the Los Angeles area. That's the Pacific Time Zone, so it's natural to start games on the West Coast in a later time window.
That's the same 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local) start for Paraguay and Australia, who are playing in Santa Clara, California.
The earlier games kicked off at 4 p.m. ET (Philadelphia and New Jersey), and then at 7 p.m. ET (Arlington and Kansas City).
None of those games are on the West Coast.
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The schedulers kept the U.S. out West for the entire group stage to limit travel for the co-hosts a bit, and with that comes these start times.
Especially on a week day, the late start time might also help maximize television viewership, at least relative to being played in the early-to-mid afternoon.
Those who want sleep can take comfort in this: The game won't actually impact the group standings. The United States has already clinched the top spot in their group.
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