Christian Pulisic ended a nearly six-month goal drought on Sunday, scoring and assisting in the first half to lead the United States to a 3-2 victory over Senegal in Charlotte, North Carolina. The match was the first of two send-off games ahead of this summer's World Cup, and the performance offered a much-needed boost for a team that struggled in March friendlies.
First-half dominance
Playing in front of 57,741 fans, the US looked sharp from the start. Sergiño Dest opened the scoring in the seventh minute after a beautiful 10-pass sequence. Tim Ream found Antonee Robinson, who played Ricardo Pepi. Pepi slipped the ball to Pulisic, whose cross across the face of goal was tapped in by Dest.
Pulisic then doubled the lead in the 19th minute. Pepi again provided the assist, threading a through ball to Pulisic 20 yards from goal. A deft first touch took Senegal goalkeeper Mory Diaw out of the play, and Pulisic's right-footed angled finish made it 2-0.
Senegal fights back
Senegal pulled one back just before half-time through Sadio Mané, who capitalized on an errant pass from Antonee Robinson. The US made wholesale changes at the break, substituting every outfield player except Sebastian Berhalter and introducing goalkeeper Chris Brady.
Just minutes into the second half, Senegal equalized. Miles Robinson's poor back pass was intercepted by Mané, who charged goalward. Brady was slow off his line and could not prevent the goal, making it 2-2.
Balogun seals victory
The US regained the lead in the 62nd minute. Weston McKennie pressed Senegal's backline and controlled the ball near the edge of the area, feeding Timothy Weah out wide. Weah's cross was deflected but found Folarin Balogun, who finished to make it 3-2.
Questions remain
Despite the win, defensive lapses continue to trouble the US. Conceding shortly after half-time has become a worrying habit, as seen in March losses to Portugal and Belgium. Coach Mauricio Pochettino also faces decisions on his starting goalkeeper, with Matt Turner starting on Sunday but neither he nor Matt Freese seizing the role.
The US will play their final send-off match against Germany on June 6 in Chicago before heading to the World Cup.
