Christian Pulisic nabbed a goal and an assist in the first half before Folarin Balogun’s eventual game winner in the second half paced the U.S. men’s national team in its 3-2 friendly victory Sunday against Senegal at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Pulisic set up Sergiño Dest’s opener, then scored one himself to give the U.S. a 2-0 lead before Sadio Mané scored on both sides of halftime, the second one as part of a chaotic second half.
This was the first of two friendlies for the Americans as they’ll face four-time FIFA World Cup champion Germany on Saturday. Here’s a look at how everyone involved in the U.S.’s win against one of Africa’s strongest powers performed with the World Cup inching closer.
Manager rating out of 10
On the whole, the majority of the decisions made by Pochettino and his staff worked. Are there some questions? Yes, because there will be with every match no matter the outcome, but there were also a few items that got confirmed when it came to how comfortable certain players looked in specific roles.
Player ratings (0-10; 10 = best; 5 = average)
Turner’s day didn’t get busy until the final 15 minutes when Senegal began to find openings. Before then, his most notable moment was coming out of the net to stop Mané without conceding a foul. He had a couple of saves when Senegal pressed before Mané beat him to cut the lead to 2-1.
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Yes, he was beaten by Mané on the sequence that forced Turner to come out. However, he was involved in the buildup in the pass to Ricardo Pepi that eventually led to a goal while also showing the necessary recovery ability whenever there were errors in central defense.
McKenzie performed like the more consistent option in central defense for the U.S. There were a few moments when he was able to get in front of the ball, interrupt Senegal’s passes and largely be in position when those counterattacks were present. However, he did have an errant pass that led to a turnover.
It was a rough day for Ream on his home pitch. He was nearly caught out whenever he tried playing the ball with his feet upon facing Senegal’s press. There were also the errant passes that saw the visitors go on the counter, including one that almost led to Nicolas Jackson scoring. His most telling moment came on Mané’s first goal, when he was caught out of position in transition and forced Tyler Adams into a difficult situation.
He established a connection with Pulisic on the left side that was present from the first few minutes. It led to the U.S. knowing it could rely on Robinson to play either long passes or quicker ones to shift into attack while he also found ways to get in front of passing lanes. But there was also a turnover that led to Senegal going on the counter in what was otherwise a strong day.
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Like Ream, he was a liability at times in the first half. There was the foul he gave up that led to a free kick just to the right of the 18-yard-box along with how he got beat by Bara Sapoko Ndiaye for a shot that went wide. Berhalter at times was involved with the attack but also had that moment late in the first that led to him getting caught off guard and Senegal countering. He seemed to find a little more comfort as the lone member of the starting XI to play in the second half.
Adams did what Adams does: He moved possession along and was part of the press that saw him offer support in defense. There was one slow touch he had that nearly led to a counter, but all in all, he did what was needed in a subtle manner.
Knowing he can fly down the wing and help on either end was crucial with Mané being a threat. Dest’s opening goal in the seventh minute was an example of what makes him so versatile because of how he came into space. Plus, he almost had an assist when he found Pepi in space for a shot that was blocked near the end of the half.
He was involved in a few sequences and had some noticeable movements to help facilitate play. There was the heads-up play on the throw-in that nearly led to an opportunity, for example. But his efforts were overshadowed compared with everyone else in the midfield.
Simply put, he was the Americans’ best player. There was what he did to set up Dest’s goal before scoring his own minutes later. It was the first time since June 2024 that Pulisic had a goal and an assist, according to ESPN Global Research. Every time Pulisic was on the ball or found space with Robinson, he looked like a threat to score or create issues.
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Pepi’s first start with the U.S. since November 2024 saw him have one of his strongest performances in an American kit. There was the holdup play he had on Dest’s goal, along with the fact that he was willing to drop down and be a No. 10 if needed. There was also his commitment to consistently press while trying to get to every ball when he was on defense.
Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
His first cap for the U.S. saw him get caught in a hard place when Mané scored his second goal.
Scally was involved in a few moments down the right that saw him close down on balls into the box. He also played a role in getting the ball into attack.
Robinson tried playing a pass only to have possession taken away by Jackson before Mané’s second goal tied the game at 2-2.
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There were moments when Senegal found openings, but he appeared calm in those situations.
Arfsten’s day was quiet by comparison with the man he replaced, but he did his part in keeping Senegal from either tying the match or scoring a go-ahead goal.
Everything he did in his second-half cameo reinforces why he can be played in so many midfield positions. McKennie was active in many areas and was almost rewarded with a goal in the 75th minute.
His most notable moment came when he applied the pressure that forced a turnover, allowing him to get into space before his shot on net was blocked in the 82nd minute.
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Weah’s strongest moment came when he set up Balogun on the cross into the box that allowed the striker to score the winning goal.
“Scoreless in Seattle” nearly came to an end, or it could have until his shot sailed well beyond the net.
He almost pulled off a goal and an assist, only to have both called back. Still, Tillman looked every bit the part of a spark plug who can create coming off the bench.
Balogun’s first goal was denied but he was able to make up for that when he patiently waited for Weah’s cross into the box, timed the deflection off a boot before striking it home for the match-winning salvo.
