4 Takeaways From USA's 3-2 Win Over Senegal In Pre-World Cup Friendly

BANK OF AMERICA STADIUM (Charlotte, N.C.) — As the ball rolled into the net, you could see the relief and weight lifted off Christian Pulisic's shoulders. 

The USA's star forward had a goal — breaking a befuddling scoring drought that stretched to December — along with an assist, and Folarin Balogun netted the game-winner as the Stars and Stripes topped African powerhouse Senegal in Sunday’s pre-World Cup exhibition.

A good result in front of a crowd of more than 60,000 for the U.S. against a quality side that will also be at the 48-team tournament. Only one more test left before the real thing kicks off for the USA in its World Cup opener on June 12.

Here are my takeaways from Sunday’s victory:

1. Christian Pulisic Snaps Drought In Style

So much of the discourse surrounding the American squad in the buildup to this World Cup has been about Pulisic’s career-worst goalless streak, which had extended to more than 20 games for club and country by the time the Stars and Stripes’ headliner arrived stateside last week to prepare for the biggest summer of his life.

All along, Pulisic insisted he wasn’t concerned. "There's difficult times, and then sometimes one will bounce off your knee and go in, and then it seems like everything goes in after that," Pulisic said again on Saturday before the squad flew to Charlotte for Sunday’s contest. "That’s just the way things work, and I feel pretty confident."

It showed against Senegal. It took less than six minutes for Hershey, Pennsylvania’s favorite son, who set up Sergiño Dest's opener.

Just 13 minutes later, Pulisic doubled the USA’s advantage himself when he took a pass from Ricardo Pepi, rounded visiting keeper Mory Diaw and coolly slotted the ball into Diaw’s vacated net. Not only was it the 27-year-old attacker’s first tally since he scored for AC Milan last December — it was his first for the national team since late 2024.

2. USA Gets Much-Needed Win …   

All last week, the U.S. players oscillated between saying how important winning at least one of their final two pre-World Cup exhibitions and noting, correctly, that the only results that actually matter are the ones in the main event.

But winning is always good. And for a squad that let its fans down by getting outscored, 7-2, in a pair of March losses to European powers Belgium and Portugal, it certainly doesn’t hurt.

"Winning is contagious," midfielder Tyler Adams said. It’s also a habit. The U.S. can take a ton of confidence from their performance on Sunday in a game that wasn’t as close as the scoreline suggests (see below). The U.S. attack was sharp. And it could’ve scored more; Balogun had an apparent goal called back for offside before his eventual game-winner, and Malik Tillman had one ruled out as well.  

3. ... But Defensive Questions Persist

Up 2-0 with just two minutes of the opening 45 remaining, the home side was cruising. That changed in a heartbeat after Antonee "Jedi" Robinson was dispossessed in midfield, sending the Lions of Teranga roaring toward Matt Turner’s goal. Habib Diarra then made a perfect pass to former Liverpool star Sadio Mané, Senegal’s skipper and all-time top scorer, who only needed one touch to deposit the ball past Turner and inside the far post.

It was a disappointing strike to give up at that point in the match. More disappointing was the guests' second. Diarra was at the heart of it again, with center back Miles Robinson unaware that the Sunderland man was lurking behind him. Robinson’s error left goalkeeper Chris Brady, who came on for Turner at halftime to make his first international appearance, with a tough decision to make. He chose poorly, rushing out and getting caught in no-man’s land as Mané pulled his team level.

4. Is This Close To Pochettino’s Best Lineup?

During a roundtable with a small group of reporters at U.S. Soccer’s training facility outside of Atlanta last week, the former Paris Saint-Germain manager revealed that he’s had an idea what his starting lineup since "before March." How many of those players began Sunday’s encounter? By my count, it’s somewhere in the neighborhood of six: Pulisic, Dest, Jedi, Tyler Adams, Alex Freeman and captain Tim Ream.

Matt Freese is almost certainly still the No. 1 heading into the final preparation match next week. If healthy, Balogun and midfielder Weston McKennie are lineup locks. Versatile players like Tim Weah and Malik Tillman could be in the mix, too.

As expected, Pochettino made wholesale changes at halftime; per FIFA rules, the teams agreed beforehand to use up to 11 subs apiece. The U.S. coach took full advantage, switching out 10 players at the break, with midfielder Sebastian Berhalter the only holdover. Forward Alex Zendejas entered for Berhalter with about a quarter-hour remaining.

The plan was clearly to give as many players as many minutes as possible. I’m guessing that the XI we see next week in Chicago will be a lot closer to the group that is on the field when the Americans’ World Cup campaign begins against Paraguay on June 12.

4 ½. Mighty Germany Awaits In USA’s Final Tuneup

Before it can carry the momentum of Sunday’s victory into the World Cup itself, the U.S. will face the four-time World Cup champs in Chicago in its high-profile send-off. The 10th-ranked Germans are never an easy out, but there’s no reason the Americans can’t pull off the upset in what would count as this generation's long-awaited "signature" win. 

After all, they’ve upset Die Mannachaft four times in a dozen meetings all-time. Win the next one, and U.S. players and supporters will enter the planet’s biggest sporting event knowing that they can beat anyone.