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USMNT analysis

USMNT defeats Senegal 3-2 in pre-World Cup friendly, showing signs of hope & concern

ASN's Brian Sciaretta breaks down the USMNT and its 3-2 win over Senegal in its first tune-up friendly ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
May 31, 2026
8:25 PM

THE UNITED STATES national team defeated Senegal 3-2 on Sunday afternoon in Charlotte, NC as part of its first tune-up friendly ahead of the 2026 World Cup. It was a performance that was both encouraging and concerning while at the same time being useful for head coach Mauricio Pochettino in his final preparations ahead of the team’s opening game against Paraguay.

Since Pochettino unveiled his World Cup roster last week, the big talk was about formations and how the U.S. team could play tactically at the World Cup. We saw the team succeed during the fall friendlies in 2025 playing with variations of a three-man backline that shifted depending on whether the U.S. team was in possession. 

The March friendlies, however, saw the team revert mostly to a four-man backline and suffer ugly losses to Belgium and Portugal. But when Pochettino named 11 defenders (including Tim Weah, who plays as a right back for Marseille) to the World Cup roster, the indication is that he wanted tactical flexibility, which typically starts in the backline.

Unsurprisingly, Pochettino went with a 3-4-3 formation in possession which more resembled how the team played in the fall. The U.S. team came out in fantastic form grabbing a 2-0 lead by the 20th minute with goals from Sergino Dest and Christian Pulisic.  For Pulisic, it was his first goal for club or country since December.

 

Then just before halftime, Sadio Mané pulled Senegal back within one when he was played into the box by Sunderland midfielder Habib Diarra and beat goalkeeper Matt Turner with a low shot.

After halftime, Pochettino made 10 changes with only Sebastian Berhalter remaining.  In the 55th minute Mané equalized after a terrible error by Miles Robinson played goalkeeper Chris Brady into a bad spot. An errant ball bounced over Brady’s head and Mané easily finished.

The U.S. team moved back in front for good in the 63rd minute when Weston McKennie and Tim Weah combined in the midfield before sending the ball into the box where it found Folarin Balogun. The Monaco forward then finished with a right-footed shot into the left side of the goal.

Now the U.S. team will look to its second friendly against Germany on Saturday night.

Here are some detailed thoughts.

 

Pulisic’s performance and goal were massive

 

Without question, the top story for the U.S. team heading into this World Cup has been the form of Christian Pulisic. He is the top player on the team, but everyone knows he has had a brutal first half 2026. He has not scored for club or country since the start of the year. For all of the talk about who is on the roster and who is not, it is all meaningless unless Pulisic is playing well. The bottom line is that the tournament will be very short for the United States if Pulisic is unable to produce goals.

From the opening whistle, the Hershey native came out with a purpose and was immediately dangerous. This is the best he has looked for any team in a long time. For Pochettino, this was the best possible news to get from this game. Argentine manager told the media this week that Pulisic was going to score at the World Cup. If this game was any indication, he is correct.



Pulisic ended his drought in the 20th minute, but the goal only told part of the story. For the remainder of the first half he was the best player on the field and he was a handful for Senegal to defend. The US teams group stage opponents, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey, were of course watching this and are now going to have to adjust their teams to an in-form Pulisic.

"I have played really well in recent months, but all everyone seems to care about is goals," Pulisic told the media after the game. "Hopefully we can stop talking about it. We’ve got big games ahead and I’ve got to be ready." 

Of course, this performance was far from perfect and Pochettino has to clean up a lot of mistake-prone decision making. But one of his big worries was put to rest in the first half of this game.

 

"The performance of Christian was really, really good," Pochettino said afterward. "I think he still has potential to improve, but my thing is, this is the way he’s been training from Day 1. I felt it was what he needed. And how he played in those 45 minutes was the habit that he created in the last week, every day training with this attitude, with this commitment, with this energy.

"Scoring is important for a player preparing for the World Cup. I’m so happy for him."

 

Pepi and Balogun

 

One of the areas on the team that was the subject of no debate were the team’s strikers. Both Ricardo Pepi and Folarin Balogun had great seasons including multiple Champions League goals from each player. But how would Pochettino use each player? Who would start?

Pepi Earned the start in this game and was terrific. He did not score, but he was instrumental to the build-up of the first goal and then he assisted on the second goal to Pulisic. But what stood out was his movement and ability to combine with Pulisic, Dest, and Gio Reyna. He was effective in holding the ball-up on the first goal to play Pulisic into a dangerous spot to set up Dest. Then on the second goal, his movement in transition was excellent.

When Balogun came into the game in the second half, he was also excellent. He had one goal called back for being offside and then minutes later he scored the winning goal. He also was part of another disallowed goal from Malik Tillman.

The U.S. team could very well have had five goals in the game thanks to its two forwards.

 

It raises the question over which in-form striker fits best with the U.S. national team? It’s a choice that Pochettino must make because it seems unlikely that the team is prepared for a way to play with both on the field at the same time.  

The answer could be that it depends on the opponent. Pepi and Balogun have very different profiles. Balogun thrives on getting behind the opposing backline and making elite runs. But his success depends on having players who can pass well to get him the ball. But if he has space and if he has an opening, he is lethal.

Pepi will typically get on the ball more than Balogun and combine with his teammates more. He is also more of an aerial threat than Balogun. He likely has more tools and more ways he can score. If an opponent is pinned back or is not providing a lot of space to operate, Pepi has an advantage. If the U.S. team is looking to make runs and counter, Balogun could be more of a threat.

It’s a good set of choices for Pochettino to have as he looks to find ways to matchup against opponents.

 

Top Lineup & Formation

These tune up friendlies are typically tricky for managers. They want to prepare their teams for the World Cup, but they do not want to reveal too much for their opponents who are all watching.

Most of the starting lineup are likely starters against Paraguay. Pulisic, Dest, Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream, and Tyler Adams are almost certain to be fixtures in Pochettino’s XI. The injured Richards is a starter depending on his health.

Among the second half substitutes, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Malik Tillman are strong candidates along with Balogun.

But it also comes down to formation. For the second time inside of a year, a switch to a 3-4-3 brought the team out of a slump (just as it did last September following a loss to South Korea).

But a big reason why the team fits well into the 3-4-3 is Alex Freeman who can stay back while also occasionally being able to get into the back. His elite athleticism allows him to fit into a dual role as a right back in defense and a right center back in possession. Joe Scally played the role in the second half and did well, but it is easy to see Pochettino preferring Freeman.

 

The problem of mistakes

 

The U.S. team made a lot of mistakes in this game and it was lucky that the team only conceded two goals to a talented Senegal team. At the World Cup, a similar performance could be far costlier.

Antonee Robinson gave the ball away on the play that resulted in Senegal’s first goal. The second goal was very, very ugly from Miles Robinson and Brady. But there were plenty of other mistakes that could have and should have resulted in at least one more Senegal goal. Most midfielders were responsible for at least one bad giveaway over the course of the 90 minutes.  

Ultimately, Pochettino must hope that the team becomes cleaner and more careful with the ball as they continue to train for another 12 days before the World Cup opener.

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