Did Christian Pulisic prove he's ready for the World Cup? Balogun or Pepi?

The United States beat Senegal 3-2 in a match that felt close to a competitive tune-up for the World Cup. Christian Pulisic scored his first goal of the calendar year and showed much of the verve and movement that define his game, while the team generally played the more assertive football despite heavy use of substitutes and some late experimentation.

Defensive questions remain, chiefly the absence of Chris Richards and a costly error by Miles Robinson that led to concern about how the backline will hold up against top opponents. Alex Freeman impressed as cover at centre back, and the goalkeeping and midfield pecking orders were discussed after solid outings from Matt Turner and a promising performance from Malik Tillman, while Matt Freese retains his hold on the No.

1 spot. The striker debate continues. Folarin Balogun emerged as the favoured option for his clinical edge and current form, but Ricardo Pepi made a case too, showing useful hold-up play, clever passing and the ability to create for others.

United States

christian pulisic, world cup, folarin balogun, ricardo pepi, united states, senegal, miles robinson, chris richards, matt turner, malik tillman