3 Hot Takes From the USMNT's World Cup Tune-Up Win vs Senegal

Sunday was a big day for the U.S. Men’s National Team as they faced a highly skilled Senegal team in their second-to-last match before the World Cup kicks off in two weeks, and they ended the day victors with a 3-2 win.

While it wasn’t a perfect showing by the Americans in Charlotte, it was a huge statement for a squad that had concerns after the announcement of the 26-man roster.

Here are my three biggest takeaways coming away from Sunday’s win as they head into their final tune-up against Germany in Chicago.

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This Is the Best Attack in USMNT History

We saw it in the first ten minutes of the game with Christian Pulisic linking up alongside Sergiño Dest to score the opening goal of the game.

The national squad has never had so many legitimate professional threats in front of the net: Pulisic, Dest, Antonee Robinson, Ricardo Pepi, Folarin Balogun, Malik Tillman, Weston McKennie.

These are all players in the best leagues in Europe who can put the goal in the back of the net against elite competition. The creativity and finishing from Balogun and Pepi are something this team hasn’t had in probably over two decades.

I'm Still Not Sure About Tim Ream

A few years ago, Tim Ream was a stalwart pillar in the defense for the United States and a plus player in the Premier League with Fulham alongside Robinson.

Ream now is 38, though, and although he can still be that calm cog in the machine when things get crazy, he might be a liability at the World Cup. He wasn’t great on Sunday, and although the initial group doesn’t have many elite speedy strikers, Ream could get eaten alive by some of the better attacking teams in the tournament.

He’s the captain of the team and has the full trust of Mauricio Pochettino, but it’s hard not to imagine him getting beaten badly in transition sometime in the group.

Will the Starting Goalie Please Stand Up?

The attack looked great; the midfield is thin but sturdy if McKennie and Tyler Adams stay healthy; and the defense desperately needs Chris Richards to return.

When it comes to goalkeeping, though, the prevailing thought was that Matt Freese was the team’s locked-in starter heading into the tournament. Former starter Matt Turner, though, got the call in the first half against Senegal before Chicago Fire goalie Chris Brady got the second half.

It appears Freese will get the start against Germany and, most likely, the call against Paraguay in Los Angeles to open the World Cup, but this position isn’t as secure as in past tournaments for America.

What used to be the calling card of the USMNT — world-class goalkeeping — is a thing of the past at the moment, and be it Freese or Turner, they’ll have to play above their weight if the team wants to make it to their ultimate goal of the quarterfinals or deeper.

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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 9:03 PM.