The United States of America began World Cup Preparations with an entertaining 3-2 win over Senegal at Bank of America Stadium, after overcoming a second-half upset after taking a two-goal lead.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side took the lead through Sergino Dest and Christian Pulisic before Sadio Mane pulled one back on the stroke of half-time.
Senegal then equalized at the start of the second half after exploiting a defensive error, but Folarin Balogun’s shot restored the lead to the Americans.
The hosts got off to a bright start and looked dangerous from the opening exchanges. Pulisic was heavily involved early on, first threatening with a dangerous pass before helping to make the breakthrough just seven minutes later.
Ricardo Pepe showed excellent awareness by moving away from his marker and leaving Pulisic behind the Senegal defence.
The winger raced into the penalty area and played an unselfish pass for Dest, who arrived perfectly to score from close range and give the United States an early lead.
Taste on display by USA
Pochettino’s team continued to play with confidence after the opening match and almost doubled its advantage through a series of dangerous attacks. Senegal briefly threatened an immediate response, with Matt Turner making an excellent tackle to deny Mane after the striker raced onto a through ball.
Nicholas Jackson then missed a great chance to equalize when Elimane Ndiaye’s pass found him in space, but the striker fired over the bar.
The United States punished those mistakes midway through the first half. Pepe was again at the heart of the attack, exploiting space on the right flank before sending in a precise pass for Pulisic.
The Milan striker rounded goalkeeper Yahvan Diouf and calmly slotted home from a tight angle to make it 2-0 after 20 minutes.
Senegal gradually improved as the half progressed and began to enjoy longer periods of possession. Turner remained largely calm, although he was required to keep out Ndiaye’s effort, while Mamadou Sarr made a crucial save to deny Anthony Robinson a third goal for the hosts.
Manny pulls back
Their improvement was rewarded before half-time. Habib Diarra carried the ball forward from deep in his own half, sneaking through the midfield before spotting Mane’s clever move.
The veteran striker timed his run perfectly and scored a calm goal into the far corner, reducing the deficit to 2-1 and giving Senegal renewed belief before half-time.
The second half began with sweeping changes from both managers, with the US national team making ten substitutions as Pochettino looked to distribute minutes to his team.
Despite the disruption, the home side thought they had restored their two-goal lead almost immediately when Balogun brilliantly curled the ball into the top corner, but an offside flag cut short the celebrations.
Instead, Senegal managed to equalize moments later. Jackson’s pressure forced Auston Trusty into a costly foul, allowing the striker to challenge new goalkeeper Chris Brady.
The ball broke dangerously inside the penalty area, and despite Miles Robinson trying to clear it off the goal line, Mane’s persistence ensured the ball was passed over the crossbar, completing Senegal’s comeback and making the score 2-2.
Balogun finds the winner
The game suddenly came to life. The USA thought they had the lead back shortly after the equaliser when Malik Tillman converted from close range, but another whistle denied them as Balogun was adjudged to have committed a foul in the build-up.
Their persistence paid off in the 63rd minute. Timothy Weah shot a dangerous low ball into the penalty area and Senegal failed to clear it convincingly.
The loose ball fell gently to Balogun, who reacted quickest and slotted a smart shot into the bottom left corner to eventually make it 3-2.
What followed was an all-out spell that could have easily produced several more goals. Balogun almost scored the second goal, but he shot over the crossbar, while Cristian Roldan wasted a promising opportunity after cutting the ball off with his left foot.
On the other hand, Senegal searched for the equalizer, although its attacks lacked the accuracy necessary to penetrate the American defense.
The United States came close to extending its lead during an impressive series in the closing stages. Weston McKennie forced a save from Diouf’s shot before hitting the post with the rebound, and Balogun somehow made another save as the Senegal keeper made another impressive save.
Moments later, it looked like Alejandro Zendejas was on his way to scoring, but Mamadou Mbou recovered brilliantly and blocked the goal.
Senegal continued to move forward in the final minutes and almost achieved the equalizer when Bamba Dieng came forward with a promising shot, but a misplaced pass prevented the opportunity from developing fully.
The Americans defended well during four minutes of stoppage time, turning away a series of late balls before the final whistle blew.
