The United States kicked off their World Cup preparations with a largely convincing win over Senegal, getting a 3-2 result thanks to a goal and assist from Christian Pulisic, his first goal for the national team since November 2024.
The vibe check (TL;DR)
- What happened: The United States got a 3-2 win over Senegal, ranked 14th in FIFA's World Rankings and preparing to take on a loaded Group I with France, Norway and Iraq.
- What we learned: This was the best the United States have looked in months, even with the two goals they allowed. Pulisic was stellar in his 45 minute shift, and they controlled the tempo for long stretches of the game. By the second half, they were carving apart Senegal's midfield and backline with relative ease.
- Big picture: It's only one match, a friendly that was disrupted by wholesale changes from both sides. Both goals the United States conceded were needlessly sloppy and somewhat self-inflicted, but even so, they were well-deserving of the win.
Standout performers
- Christian Pulisic's performance elicited a collective sigh of relief from the USMNT faithful. Not only did he find the net for the first time since late 2024, but he consistently stretched the field, combined well with the other attackers, and was incisive when he got on the ball in and around the box.
- Alex Freeman has emerged as one of the most important players in the pool, and his ability to play the "flex back" role as a hybrid right back and right center back. He gave cover for Sergiño Dest to push forward and play free in attack, and he provided some real quality with the ball at his feet in the final third, pinching inside at times and able to carry the ball through an initial wave of pressure.
- Weston McKennie was the best player on the pitch in the second half. His one-touch connections with Malik Tillman were a joy to watch, and he carved Senegal's backline apart on a few sequences. How he fits into the actual starting group, whether it's in midfield next to Tyler Adams, or further forward as a No. 10, remains a big question.
champagne footy
— Ben Wright (@benwright.bsky.social) May 31, 2026 at 4:17 PM
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Lineup notes
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino threw some surprises into his initial lineup before making 10 changes at halftime. The full first-choice group never really played together, with key players scattered across both halves, but the bulk of the squad got at least 45 minutes to play in this system and get fitness.
Expect more of a first-choice group against Germany next Saturday.
🇺🇸 USMNT Starting XI vs Senegal Turner; Ream ©, McKenzie, Freeman; A.Robinson, Adams, Berhalter, Dest; Pulisic, Reyna; Pepi BENCH: Freese, Brady, Trusty, McKennie, Aaronson, M.Robinson, Roldan, Tillman, Arfsten, Wright, Balogun, Weah, Scally, Zendejas
— SixOneFive Soccer (@sixonefivesoccer.com) May 31, 2026 at 1:52 PM
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Up next
The Yanks will play one final tuneup match, taking on Germany on Saturday, June 6, at 1:30 pm CT. They'll kick off their World Cup campaign against Paraguay on Friday, June 18.
Stats
Possession: USA 46% – 54% SEN
Shots: USA 15 – 7 SEN
Shots on goal: USA 5 – 3 SEN
Penalty kicks: USA 0 – 0 SEN
Goals: USA 3 – 2 SEN
Total Passes: USA 303 – 365 SEN
Fouls: USA 21 – 9 SEN
Yellow cards: USA 1 – 0 SEN
Red cards: USA 0 – 0 SEN
