U.S. vs. Senegal Reaction: Pulisic Is Back! Player Ratings & Defensive Concerns

Description

Tab Ramos and Matt Doyle break down the USMNT’s thrilling 3–2 pre-World Cup victory over Senegal. Christian Pulisic finally snaps his goal drought with a spectacular performance, but his growing chemistry with Ricardo Pepi raises new questions about how the U.S. attack should be structured heading into the tournament. Tab also breaks down the team’s defensive issues and shares his concerns about Chris Richards as he works his way back from injury ahead of the FIFA World Cup. The guys then go through every U.S. player who saw the field against Senegal, handing out Stock Up and Stock Down ratings based on their performances. Plus, Matt explains why Weston McKennie was the best player on the field in the second half, and Tab reveals his projected Starting XI for the showdown with Germany on Saturday. 🎧 Listen to the full audio podcast: https://t.co/Lp1vrt7fvR 📲 Follow Inside American Soccer: Twitter / X: https://x.com/InsideAmSoc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insideamericansoccer/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@insideamericansoccer 00:00 Intro & Immediate Reactions to USMNT 3-2 Win Over Senegal 02:04 Why the Pulisic-Pepi Partnership Changes Everything 06:08 Building the Right Attack Before the World Cup 07:30 Confidence Boost or False Hope? 08:07 Alex Freeman’s Case for a Starting Role 09:23 Defensive Concerns & Chris Richards’ Injury Status 13:00 Stock Up / Stock Down: Goalkeepers 15:52 Stock Up / Stock Down: Center Backs 19:53 Stock Up / Stock Down: Fullbacks & Wingbacks 22:15 Stock Up / Stock Down: Midfielders 24:19 Christian Pulisic Breaks Through 26:16 Malik Tillman & Weston McKennie Shine 29:05 Ricardo Pepi vs. Folarin Balogun Debate 30:34 Top 5 Breakout Players for the 2026 World Cup 30:57 Nuno Mendes 32:11 Jeremy Doku 32:57 Michael Olise 33:54 Vitinha 35:02 Lamine Yamal 36:18 Which American Could Break Out at the World Cup? 37:45 Tab Ramos’ Projected USMNT XI vs Germany 39:38 Adams & McKennie in Midfield 41:11 USMNT vs Germany Prediction 42:03 What Matters Most Before the World Cup