Tampa Showdown: U.S. Soccer Team Shines Against Uruguay

TAMPA, Fla.— Alex Freeman netted two goals, while Sebastian Berhalter and Diego Luna each contributed one as the United States overwhelmed Uruguay with four goals in the first half. The match ended 5-1, leaving the Americans undefeated in their last five games leading up to the World Cup year.

Tanner Tessman also joined the scoring spree, finding the net in the 68th minute. This marked his first five-point performance against a top-30 South American opponent.

Ranked 16th, the U.S. team seems to be reversing its previous misfortunes from the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup.

There are still two additional matches on the horizon before coach Mauricio Pochettino finalizes his World Cup roster, with friendly encounters expected against Belgium and Portugal in March.

In a noteworthy accomplishment, Freeman, Berhalter, and Tessman all celebrated their first international goals during the match, which saw the U.S. score five against a non-CONCACAF team for the first time since defeating Scotland 5-1 in 2012. Remarkably, the U.S. remains unbeaten against World Cup teams in the last five matches, winning four of those.

Uruguay’s Rodrigo Bentancur received a red card in the 64th minute after a risky sliding tackle on Berhalter. La Celeste, now ranked 15th, entered this friendly with an unbeaten streak of six games.

The scoring kicked off in the 17th minute with Berhalter’s free kick, quickly followed by Freeman’s header from a corner taken by Berhalter just three minutes later. Freeman scored again at the 31-minute mark, and Luna capped off the first half with a goal in the 42nd minute.

This win marks the first time the U.S. has scored four first-half goals against a South American side while fielding a lineup primarily made up of substitutes.

Though Uruguay managed to get on the scoreboard just before halftime, with Giorgian de Arrascueta finding the net with a deft overhead kick, it wasn’t nearly enough to challenge the Americans.

The match showcased Pochettino’s deep admiration for Uruguay’s manager Marcelo Bielsa, as he embraced him at both the beginning and end of the game—Bielsa was pivotal in signing him to Argentina’s Newell’s Old Boys at just 13 years old.

The U.S. found their first goal thanks to a foul on Haji Wright, leading to Berhalter’s successful shot past goalkeeper Christopher Viermarin. Freeman continued to shine by heading in another corner from Berhalter, which was followed by Tillman’s goal beating Nahitan Nandez.

After receiving a wide pass from Tillman, Trusty connected the ball to Freeman, who skillfully maneuvered past defenders to score. On the other end, Tillman’s cross, which was slightly deflected, set up Luna for his fourth goal. Finally, Tessmann wrapped things up, heading in a cross from Gio Reyna, who had just joined the game.

Pochettino’s starting lineup saw significant changes from previous matches, with only goalkeeper Matt Freeze and defender Sergiño Dest remaining from the last game. Trusty made his second start, while Tillman saw action for the second time since his debut earlier this year.