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The first chance to test themselves against World Cup opposition is here for the U.S. men's national team as they begin their ramp-up to the 2026 FIFA tournament with a friendly against Senegal on Sunday.
Mauricio Pochettino has made his final decisions on the USMNT roster for the coming summer competition and now is ready to challenge the players on the pitch.
This will be the first of two pre-World Cup friendlies for the United States before the tournament itself begins on June 11, with a game against Germany to follow on June 6.
The Sporting News brings you a live breakdown of each USMNT player's performance against 14th-ranked Senegal as the game progresses, as well as more detailed analysis after the conclusion of the match.
FOLLOW LIVE: Get minute-by-minute updates from USA vs. Senegal LIVE on site in Charlotte, NC
USA vs. Senegal live score
Location: Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC)
USMNT starting lineup:
USA (4-2-3-1, right to left): 1. Turner — 16. Freeman, 22. McKenzie, 13. Ream, 5. A. Robinson — 4. Adams, 14. Berhalter — 2. Dest, 7. Reyna, 10. Pulisic — 9. Pepi
MORE: USMNT roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup | Why is the USMNT midfield so thin?
USMNT player ratings vs. Senegal
The United States began the match with a lineup that reflects the recent trend of Mauricio Pochettino deploying a team that plays a 4-2-3-1 in possession, and a 5-4-1 out of possession.
Five defenders were named to the lineup, but one — Sergino Dest on the right — moves high up the field when on the ball, and drops back to the defensive line when out of possession, with Alex Freeman tucking in as a third center-back.
A number of players, including Ricardo Pepi and Mark McKenzie, are not expected to be regular starters at the World Cup, but in the interest of squad rotation and keeping others healthy, Pochettino has decided to give some backups a chance to impress.
All ratings are on a 10-point scale
Starters
GK — Matt Turner: Grade pending
This section will be updated with analysis as the game progresses.
RB — Alex Freeman: Grade pending
This section will be updated with analysis as the game progresses.
RCB — Mark McKenzie: Grade pending
This section will be updated with analysis as the game progresses.
LCB — Tim Ream: Grade pending
This section will be updated with analysis as the game progresses.
LB — Antonee Robinson: Grade pending
This section will be updated with analysis as the game progresses.
DCM — Tyler Adams: Grade pending
This section will be updated with analysis as the game progresses.
CM — Sebastian Berhalter: Grade pending
This section will be updated with analysis as the game progresses.
RW — Sergino Dest: Grade pending
Sergino Dest was deployed in the hybrid Tim Weah role, where he will maraud forward when the U.S. has the ball, and drops back to right-back along a five-man defensive line when out of possession.
This section will be updated with further analysis as the game progresses.
ACM — Gio Reyna: Grade pending
This section will be updated with analysis as the game progresses.
LW — Christian Pulisic: Grade pending
This section will be updated with analysis as the game progresses.
FWD — Ricardo Pepi: Grade pending
This section will be updated with analysis as the game progresses.
RW — Christian Pulisic: Grade pending
This section will be updated with analysis as the game progresses.
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USMNT substitutes vs. Portugal
Grades pending
This section will be updated with analysis as the game progresses.
USMNT coach vs. Portugal
Mauricio Pochettino: Grade pending
This section will be updated with analysis following the conclusion of the match.
English (US)