USMNT vs. Senegal Player Ratings: Pulisic Shows Best Form in Years Ahead of World Cup

The confidence and swagger are back for the U.S. men’s national team, after picking up a thrilling 3–2 win over Senegal in Sunday’s international friendly in Charlotte, N.C., kicking off the summer with one of the most promising performances under manager Mauricio Pochettino.

In front of a crowd of over 57,741 at the Bank of America Stadium, the USMNT got off to a wicked start. Six minutes in, a swift interplay from Ricardo Pepi and Christian Pulisic set up Sergiño Dest for the opening goal, and minutes later, Pulisic burst forward to score his first national team goal since 2024. With a goal and an assist in the first 20 minutes, the star man of the USMNT looked reborn, a far cry from the 19-game goal drought he ended the season with at AC Milan.

Led by Pulisic’s impressive start, the USMNT were unrelenting in attack. Twice, they hit the back of the net before offside reviews overturned goals, and Folarin Balogun scored the third goal in the 63rd minute to secure the victory.

ALREADY A GOAL AND AN ASSIST FOR PULISIC!#USMNT x @VW pic.twitter.com/GC1S2Fqml7
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) May 31, 2026

While the attack thrilled, it came against a second-choice defensive setup for the AFCON finalists. Starting goalkeeper Édouard Mendy was left off the matchday squad in favor of Mory Diaw, while only one of the defenders who started the January AFCON final against Morocco started Sunday’s match.

At the other end of the pitch, captain and center back Tim Ream struggled to contend with Senegal’s press and finished the afternoon with several giveaways, while the second-half defensive setup of Miles Robinson, Joe Scally and Auston Trusty was under pressure throughout and conceded Sadio Mané’s second goal.

Pochettino made 10 changes at halftime and an additional switch later on, offering plenty of experimentation in just a single game, before likely nailing down his World Cup best XI for the final friendly against Germany in Chicago later this week.

Winners and Losers

Winner

For the first time since scoring a brace in a Concacaf Nations League match against Jamaica in 2024, Christian Pulisic got to celebrate a goal for the Stars and Stripes, and his passionate knee-slide celebration showed just how much it meant to him, silencing doubters and critics who had arisen amid his goal drought.

It was evident from the beginning how much energy the 27-year-old AC Milan star had, as he burst down the wing and linked up perfectly with Pepi on the opening goal. He finished the half with an impressive eight touches in the opponent’s penalty area and was vital to his side’s setup throughout his 45 minutes.

“It was great to score again, and hopefully people can stop talking about it,” Pulisic told TNT after the match. “I feel great, and I’m really proud of the performance these guys put in today.”

Loser

The USMNT’s backline was always going to have some slight issues without star Crystal Palace center back Chris Richards available, but Tim Ream did little to instill confidence in the defensive setup. The first half saw him pick out several low-percentage passes and make two giveaways, while struggling to keep up with Senegal’s pressure, buildup and pace on their off-ball runs.

He’s the captain by Pochettino’s preference and will look better when Richards offers some insurance, but each of Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie looked better on the day, despite Ream playing at his club home in Charlotte.

USMNT Player Ratings vs. Senegal (3-5-2)

Folarin Balogun (center) showed well once he entered the game at halftime. | David Jensen/USSF/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Matt Turner—6.5: The New England Revolution backstop made two saves in the first half, but struggled to make consistent passes and throws. Not bad, but not convincing.

RWB: Segiño Dest—8.1: The PSV Eindhoven wide player was exceptional as a right wingback, dropping back to defend out of possession and impressing with three successful dribbles when on the ball. He scored the opening goal and was arguably the best player on the USMNT.

RCB: Alex Freeman—6.9: Playing the right center back role will take some time for Freeman to get used to, but he is the best suited for the position.

CB: Mark McKenzie—6.7: Playing what is likely to be Chris Richards’ regular role at the World Cup, McKenzie made two defensive contributions and stayed away from mistakes through his first half showing.

LCB: Tim Ream—6.7: At an earlier, fleeter-footed point of his career, Tim Ream could afford to take chances. Now set to be the oldest player to play for the USMNT at a World Cup at 38 years old, he needs to be more patient. He wasn’t, and it could’ve ended much worse than it did.

LWB: Antonee Robinson—6.9: Sporting a new haircut that flopped perfectly as he shifted and dribbled down the wing, Robinson impressed in his offensive movements, but didn’t have a final product.

RM: Gio Reyna—6.9: Gio Reyna looked rusty through the first half. After a season in the Bundesliga where he barely played, that’s not surprising.

CM: Tyler Adams—6.3: Tyler Adams pulled strings through midfield and looked dynamic in his start, in what was largely unproblematic and uneventful for the Premier League middle man.

LM: Sebastian Berhalter—6.7: The only USMNT player to play more than a single half, Berhalter lasted for 76 minutes and made five defensive contributions. He looks slightly out of his comfort zone when pushed more into the attack, but he was key in box-to-box moments.

ST: Ricardo Pepi—7.5: Ricardo Pepi linked up astoundingly well with Pulisic in the first half, highlighted by strong linkup play on the first two goals. He clearly wants to start, but his positive performance was still overshadowed by Balogun’s second half.

ST: Christian Pulisic—7.6: One of the best performances Christian Pulisic has had in a USMNT shirt, and it only lasted 45 minutes. For a man who has talked about not feeling intense pressure, he did plenty to thwart any critiques after this match.

SUB: Chris Brady (46’ for Turner) — 5.8: The Chicago Fire youngster is the third keeper. He looked like it, but that’s likely all we’ll see from him this summer.

SUB: Joe Scally (46’ for Freeman) — 6.6: The Bundesliga defender offered a more defensive look down the right side, but failed to create transitional moments.

SUB: Miles Robinson (46’ for McKenzie) — 6.7: The FC Cincinnati man provided calmness at the back, but struggled with the pace of the game on the second goal from Sadio Mané.

SUB: Cristian Roldan (46’ for Adams) — 6.2: The Seattle Sounders captain had flashes on the ball, but his best moment ended with a left-footed shot that nearly went out for a throw-in. He didn’t do himself any favors in the battle for more minutes.

SUB: Folarin Balogun (46’ for Pepi) — 7.2: After seeing Pepi’s remarkable showing in the first half, Balogun brought his best in the second. His runs snuck in behind Senegal’s backline for through balls from wide areas and he got his goal in the 63rd minute. Once he gets used to the USMNT’s passing tendencies this summer, some of his offside chances could be goals too.

SUB: Max Arfsten (46’ for Robinson) — 6.7: The Columbus Crew man didn’t miss a pass in his 10 attempts, but didn’t create many standout moments after replacing the Fulham wingback.

SUB: Auston Trusty (46’ for Ream) — 7.0: Fresh off two trophies with Celtic FC, Trusty had three defensive contributions and was key to second-half buildups. Expect him to get some more minutes after that showing.

SUB: Weston McKennie (46’ for Reyna) — 7.0: As versatile as always, the Juventus man stood out as a balanced piece to help close out the game while keeping the attacking vigor alive.

SUB: Malik Tillman (46’ for Pulisic) — 7.1: Tillman didn’t offer much in the way of attacking moments, as he is best known for, but settled the game down when on the ball, helping the USMNT control the pace of play.

SUB: Tim Weah (46’ for Dest) — 6.4: With how good Dest looked in the first half, it was going to be hard for Weah to live up to that standard. The Marseille man was fine, but that right wingback role looks to be Dest’s to lose.

SUB: Alex Zendejas (76’ for Berhalter) — 6.5: The Club América star broke through the defense multiple times, but failed to create enough space, largely due to his shorter strides than most center backs.

Subs not used: Matt Freese (GK), Brenden Aaronson, Haji Wright

What the Ratings Tell Us

Pulisic shouting — Christian Pulisic finally ended his goal-scoring drought. | Omar Vega/USSF/Getty Images

The USMNT has some swagger again. There’s an attacking confidence the team has been lacking under Pochettino, but they finally found it through Pulisic's return to form and standout performances from Pepi and Balogun. It’s vital not only for the result but also for confidence heading into the World Cup.
Absent from the ratings was Matt Freese. Given that Turner and Brady split this game, the signs point to Freese getting the full 90 minutes against Germany. Reading between the lines, the New York City FC man looks to be the World Cup starter.

The Numbers That Explain the USMNT’s Win

The USMNT had 30 touches in the opposition’s box, showing they diversified their attack beyond simply relying on quick counter-attacks. While the goals came off in a more traditional nature, the presence in the box ensured an threatening effort against the opponent.
195—That's the number of passes the USMNT made in the attacking half, showing their ball movement to create opportunities.

Statistic	USMNT	Senegal
Possession	47%	53%
Total Shots	17	7
Shots on Target	5	3
Big Chances	5	3
Passing Accuracy	82%	85%
Fouls Committed	21	9
Corners	4	7

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