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As the 26 players selected by Mauricio Pochettino convened for camp and preparations began for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. is on the verge of a critical summer tournament where positive performance is a must.
Thus, a strong performance in the first pre-World Cup friendly against Senegal was a major boon to Pochettino's side, as they defeated the 14th-ranked side by a 3-2 score.
Goals from Sergino Dest and Christian Pulisic in the first half put the USMNT 2-1 up at the break, and a second-half strike from Folarin Balogun was the difference in the match, leaving the U.S. ahead despite Sadio Mane's opposing brace.
The Sporting News takes a look at the biggest takeaways from this match with the global soccer championship just around the corner.
MORE: Recap the USMNT's friendly win over Senegal | USMNT player ratings from the Senegal match
Three things we learned from USMNT win over Senegal
The victory over Senegal saw a number of positive moments against a quality opponent that bring optimism for the U.S. heading into the World Cup.
Yet in conceding two goals, there are also a few things for fans to worry about.
Talk of Christian Pulisic's demise was greatly exaggerated
Most people agree that if Christian Pulisic struggles at the World Cup, the USMNT will have very little chance of making a deep run in the tournament. With that in mind, it's understandable that there has been much talk about Christian Pulisic's goal drought, having failed to score for his club AC Milan since late December and without a national team goal since September of 2024.
Watching the 27-year-old carve up the Senegal back line through the first half of this pre-World Cup friendly, the fears over his form have been undoubtedly put to bed. Pulisic was sensational during his time on the field, creating constant danger for the U.S. by dribbling at the Senegal back line and combining well with teammates.
In truth, there was little worry. Pulisic has always been a big-game player throughout his national team career, and he was far from the biggest problems at AC Milan through their second-half collapse this past season. Pulisic finished the match against Senegal with a goal and an assist, ending his national team drought and stopping any talk of his perceived poor form dead in its tracks.
Don't worry about CP during the World Cup, he'll be just fine.
Striker a position of strength for the USMNT
From the first half with Ricardo Pepi to the second half with Folarin Balogun, the U.S. striker position seems well-manned heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Pepi started the match and combined exceptionally well with Christian Pulisic, with the PSV striker enjoying the freedom to roam on both flanks and create chances for his teammates. Pepi also caused problems in the penalty area, proving a menace in the air and getting shots for himself.
After halftime, Folarin Balogun came on and found himself involved repeatedly as well. While he struggled to finish his glutton of chances, a worry before the World Cup where missed opportunities can be lethal, he still managed to find the back of the net and create a litany of problems for the Senegal back line who repeatedly lost sight of the Monaco striker. Balogun has to take his opportunities in front of goal better and not lose focus in those moments, because World Cup matches against globally dominant opponents can be ruthless, but his heavy involvement is a major positive.
Haji Wright, a player in similarly strong club form, didn't even manage to see the field in this match and should also be a key contributor if needed.
If the U.S. can find their strikers in similar fashion moving forward, they should have plenty of opportunities to excite the home crowds this summer at the World Cup. This is new for USMNT fans who are not used to having such talent at this position which has often been thin throughout the national team's history.
Mauricio Pochettino's biggest roster decision remains a big worry
For the most part, Mauricio Pochettino's roster selection for the 2026 World Cup was uneventful. Most of the players in the 26-man U.S. squad were expected to be present on the list. Yet one decision threatens to put the USMNT in a difficult position at the World Cup, and that was highlighted further in the Senegal friendly.
Pochettino decided to leave Lyon starter Tanner Tessmann off the roster in favor of an extra defender, depleting the midfielder depth significantly with the absence of a potential starter while choosing instead to include the likes of Miles Robinson and Mark McKenzie. Presumably, the ankle injury that Chris Richards is working through factored into this decision.
Robinson struggled mightily in this match, coming on at halftime and committing a glaring mistake that led to Senegal's second goal. He is, in short, not World Cup quality. In all likelihood, Robinson won't play many meaningful minutes at the World Cup, but choosing to bring a shaky depth piece at the expense of the midfield could have grave consequences.
The absence of Tessmann means that Sebastian Berhalter, who was positive in moments but shaky overall, will probably start next to Tyler Adams. It also means that Cristian Roldan, who has merits as a depth option but should not receive meaningful minutes, will be the first option off the bench and likely get significant time on the field as Pochettino rotates the squad and covers for injuries or yellow card suspensions.
This one roster decision has weakened the team in one significant position, and doesn't have many meaningful positive effects to balance that negative out. It feels likely that, if the U.S. struggles to make a deep run this summer, there will be questions about this particular decision for a long time.
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