CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The U.S. men’s national team beat Senegal 3-2 in its first World Cup tuneup, rallying after Sadio Mané’s two goals to secure the win. Sergiño Dest opened the scoring in the seventh minute after a run by Christian Pulisic, Pulisic added a second in the 20th, and substitute Folarin Balogun converted Timothy Weah’s cross in the 63rd minute for the winner.
The result offered a morale boost for manager Mauricio Pochettino after two defeats in March, and the coach emphasized learning while winning. The performance featured attacking positives but defensive lapses that produced dangerous counters for Senegal.
Pulisic ended a long scoring drought, not having scored for club or country since Dec. 28 across 21 games, and celebrated emphatically after his goal. Much of his success stemmed from linkups with Ricardo Pepi, who set up both early U.S. goals, and a role on the left that allowed Pulisic to operate in pockets and combine with left back Antonee Robinson.
Pochettino selected a four-man backline with Dest pushed up as a winger. Center backs Mark McKenzie and Tim Ream were generally steady in the first half, but the team struggled defending in transition after turnovers higher up the field. Robinson’s loss of possession led to Mané’s first goal, and a giveaway by Miles Robinson in the 52nd minute produced Mané’s second. Auston Trusty and Miles Robinson looked less composed after halftime.
The staff will be watching fitness closely with World Cup availability in mind; the aim is for players to be ready on June 12 rather than May 31, and at first glance the team appeared to avoid major ailments. One concerning statistic: according to ESPN Global Research, the USMNT has conceded at least one goal in each of its past seven games. Pochettino will want to preserve attacking momentum while tightening defensive details.
