CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Relief could be seen on Christian Pulisic’s face as he sidestepped goalkeeper Mory Diaw and buried a shot into the net for a first-half goal.
“Now maybe we can stop talking about it,” Pulisic said later.
The drought, that is.
Pulisic had a goal and an assist as he ended a five-month scoreless streak for club and country in a confidence-building 3-2 U.S. win over Senegal on Sunday, the Americans' next-to-last World Cup warmup before
their June 12 opener.
America's top player finished his AC Milan season scoreless in a career-high 19 club games since Dec. 28 and was without a goal eight straight U.S. matches since November 2024.
“I felt this confidence, like I have played really well in recent months, but all everyone seems to want to worry about is goals. so hopefully we can stop talking about it,” Pulisic said. “We have games ahead and I have to be ready.”
Pulisic's goal seemed like an emotional relief, as if weight had been lifted off the shoulders of the 27-year-old.
“We are all happy for him and we didn’t doubt him for a second,” said midfielder Weston McKennie, who has known Pulisic since he was 13. “People that don’t know him may not know his abilities or what he is capable of.”
Alex Freeeman side-footed a pass ahead of a streaking Ricardo Pepi down the right flank. Pepi ran onto the ball and took a touch, then perfectly weighted a pass into the penalty area ahead of a streaking Pulisic.
Pulisic took a touch, rounded Diaw and slotted into an open net with his right foot from a tight angle for his 33rd goal in 85 international appearances.
He pumped his fists downward as he ran toward toward the corner flag, He first threw a fist in the air. Then he slid to both knees and repeatedly pumped tightly-closed fists in raw emotion.
Was it a relief?
“Yeah," said Pulisic, who played just the first half. "I think you could see it my reaction.”
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino had predicted last week that the drought would come to an end in the World Cup.
“The performance of Christian, for 45 minutes, was really, really good,” Pochettino said. “He still has the potential to improve. But I think it is the way that he is training from day one. How way he played for 45 minutes was the habits that he created last week. Every day training with this attitude, with this commitment, with this energy. I think now we need to try to extend (it) until 90 minutes.
“I am happy for him also because after a long time, a few months, he scored again. Obviously, that is important for our players in the preparation to the World Cup.”
Pulisic said he was more excited about the outcome of the match.
The United States fed off the emotion and energy of a pro-American crowd of 57,741 in soccer-crazed Charlotte, home of this summer's Major League Soccer All-Star Game.
Pulisic had a goal and assist in the same U.S. game for the eighth time. Only Landon Donovan with 13 has had more since 1995.
He was key to the first goal. Pepi took a pass from Antonee Robinson, spun between Iliman Ndiaye and Abdoulaye Seck and made an incisive pass that sent Pulisic streaking alone down the left flank. Pulisic took two touches and sent a cross just outside the 6-yard box for Sergiño Dest, who beat Diaw for third international goal.
Senegal captain Sadio Mané scored twice following American mistakes to tie the score 2-2, extending his Senegal record with 54 international goals. He took advantage ofan Antonee Robinson giveaway to beat goalkeeper Matt Turner in the 44th and tapped the ball into the net in the 52nd after Nicolas Jackson had lifted it over onrushing goalkeeper Chris Brady.
Folarin Balogun scored the tiebreaking goal in the 63rd.
Headed to his second World Cup, Pulisic was smiling.
“I'm feeling a little more relaxed, even more now — and confident,” he said. “That's a really good result. That's a strong team. That's a really good team. So I think that we can feel good about it, but there is still a lot of work to do.”
___
AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
