Christian Pulisic Ends Goal Drought, Leads U.S. to 3-2 Victory Over Senegal

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A look of relief crossed Christian Pulisic’s face as he skillfully maneuvered past Senegal's goalkeeper Mory Diaw and found the back of the net during the first half. "Now maybe we can stop talking about it," he remarked afterward, referring to his recent goal drought.

Pulisic, who scored one goal and provided an assist, concluded a five-month span without scoring for either club or country, contributing to a 3-2 triumph for the United States over Senegal on Sunday. This match served as a crucial warm-up ahead of the World Cup, set to begin on June 12. The star player had gone 19 games without a goal for AC Milan since December 28 and had not scored in eight consecutive matches for the U.S. 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. His goal appeared to be an emotional release for the 27-year-old, signaling a weight lifted off his shoulders. “We are all happy for him and we didn’t doubt him for a second,” noted midfielder Weston McKennie, a longtime friend of Pulisic.

Pulisic’s goal came after a brilliant setup from Ricardo Pepi, who received a pass from Alex Freeeman and delivered a perfectly timed ball into the penalty area. Pulisic took a touch, rounded Diaw, and slotted the ball into an empty net from a challenging angle, marking his 33rd goal in 85 appearances for the national team. His exuberance was evident as he celebrated with a flurry of fist pumps.

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino had expressed optimism about Pulisic breaking his scoring drought ahead of the match and praised his performance. “The performance of Christian, for 45 minutes, was really, really good,” he said. “I am happy for him also because after a long time, a few months, he scored again.” Pulisic, however, emphasized that he was more thrilled with the team's overall success.

The match took place before a lively crowd of 57,741 in Charlotte, renowned for its soccer enthusiasm. Pulisic's contributions were pivotal in the game, as he assisted in the first goal scored by Sergiño Dest. Despite Senegal’s captain Sadio Mané scoring twice to level the match, Folarin Balogun's goal in the 63rd minute ultimately secured the victory for the U.S. As Pulisic heads into his second World Cup, he expressed increased confidence, stating, "That's a really good result. That's a strong team. So I think that we can feel good about it, but there is still a lot of work to do."