United States humiliates Uruguay - unbeaten in 5 games

The United States hosted Uruguay in Tampa, Florida, and put on a show for everyone in attendance, even fielding a team full of unproven talent.

The game starts with a surprise

The United States started the match with a completely different team from the one that beat Paraguay, which disappointed some fans.

In the first few minutes, Uruguay's technical quality stood out, keeping possession and keeping the North Americans away from the ball. But on the first counter, Haji Wright was fouled close to the box.

Sebastian Berhalter, already known for his talent in set pieces, stepped up after a short pass from Sergiño Dest and finished with class to open the score.

Shortly thereafter, Berhalter showed up again. The midfielder took a precise corner kick in the head from Alex Freeman, who extended the score in the 20th minute.

Full US dominance

After 2-0, the game was turned upside down. The possession became American, and the pressure increased. Then Alex Freeman fell to the left, surprised the Uruguayan defender, and scored a goal in individual play to make it 3 to 0.

And it didn't stop there. Timothy Tillman scored in the box, and Diego Luna completed the tally, making it 4 to 0. The evening was already historic in Tampa.

Before the break, Arrascaeta slowed down to Uruguay with a bike, taking some of the weight out of the thrashing.

🔁 Second half with another dynamic

Uruguay returned well after the break, pressing and finishing from afar, forcing Matt Freese to work. It was a difficult 15 minutes before Pochettino brought on substitutes.

Balogun, Tessmann, and Giovani Reyna joined in and changed the match's dynamic. To top things off, Uruguay's going off the rails. Rodrigo Bentancur came out strong in Berhalter, received the second yellow, and was sent off.

The United States took advantage. Reyna crossed the box shortly after and saw Tanner Tessmann score after a failure by goalkeeper Christopher Fiermarín. With the game under control, the Americans managed to the end.

Final score in Tampa: United States 5 x 1 Uruguay

There is still no official confirmation about the March FIFA Date friendly matches. Speculations point to games against Portugal and Belgium in Los Angeles in four months.

Another FIFA Date concluded, and more players stood out. There were 14 tests in total, and now there is growing uncertainty about Pochettino's final call-up for the 2026 World Cup. This may be bad, but it's also extremely positive, as several positions had real competition and good performances.

In the middle, for example, Sebastian Berhalter and Aidan Morris practically guaranteed their vacancies. But Cristian Roldan is still there, Tanner Tessmann scored, and there are still Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Johnny Cardoso, all strong names in the fight for a spot in midfield.

In the attack, Ricardo Pepi had been the most consistent player, but he didn't even play vs. Uruguay. Balogun scored against Paraguay, and Haji Wright, who was doing very well, went blank.

Diego Luna is the player who played the most with Pochettino, but he saw Giovani Reyna returning to a very high level. Pulisic and Malik Tillman are guaranteed, and Brenden Aaronson is still alive in the race.

On the sides, Alex Freeman played third quarterback and may have overtaken Joe Scally. Dest stands out again, but has the shadow of Tim Weah, who was left out due to injury.

On the left, Antonee Robinson completed a year without playing for the national team, while Max Arfsten grew significantly, practically taking over the position. John Tolken, tested there, didn't stand out.

In the back, the situation is more delicate. Apart from Chris Richards, there is no unanimity. Pochettino tested Scally and Freeman as centers, even though they were full-backs. Tim Ream was the most used recently, but struggled.

Mark McKenzie had many minutes on this FIFA Date and should be tested again in March. Miles Robinson performed discreetly, while Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty remain on the radar.

There aren't many games left until the Cup, and Pochettino needs a close squad with him to make everything work out. Because on the field, he's finally delivering results.