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00:00What an incredible journey with ups and downs to get to this moment.
00:03I see a lot of people that have talked about maybe being a little bit worried with his form.
00:08Dipping with club and country over the second half of the season.
00:12It doesn't concern me whatsoever.
00:14I mean Christian Pulisic has proved he's a big game player, big time player.
00:17You don't become the poster boy without being able to step up.
00:20So he is going to be there game one and through the tournament making the U.S. fans proud.
00:25At the end of a week when Maurizio Pochettino announced his 26-man roster for the World Cup.
00:32We are underway in Charlotte.
00:34Less than two weeks away from the kickoff and a home World Cup.
00:39A moment that these players will never forget.
00:43Today facing one of the best teams that Africa has to offer.
00:47A team that on the pitch won the African Cup of Nations just a few months ago.
00:54only to have that questioned and later removed.
00:58And the results awarded to Morocco.
01:00Here's Ilyman and Jai down the right side.
01:03This is a heavy African Cup of Nations final squad that has come to the U.S. here ahead of
01:11the World Cup.
01:12Five of this 11 started the AFCON final.
01:15Five more of the 11 were in the squad.
01:17And the one player that wasn't is an 18-year-old teenage phenom from Bayern Munich who is the next
01:22African wonderkid.
01:24Barra Sepulko and Jai who starts in the midfield today.
01:27There's Sebastian Berhalter with a headed ball forward looking for Gio Reyna.
01:31And Adams finds Berhalter in the midfield.
01:33Neat play this from the United States in the early moments here in Charlotte.
01:38And down the right for Dest two plays.
01:39Further forward down that right side.
01:41Alex Freeman behind him today.
01:45And what a day it is for Tim Rehm who plays his club football in this stadium with Charlotte.
01:50And just a couple of days ago was named the World Cup captain by Maurizio Pochettino.
01:55And Jai able to get this one away as Pulisic tries to run back.
01:59Nicholas Jackson through the middle.
02:02Gives it away.
02:03And Freeman over halfway.
02:04The Villarreal man up towards Pepe.
02:06A rare start for Riccardo Pepe.
02:09His first start since November of 2024 in the Nations League quarterfinals against Jamaica.
02:18A high tempo opening in this one.
02:22In the sunshine and heat of Charlotte.
02:25Dest down the right side.
02:28Right away by Diara of Sunderland.
02:39This is the defensive unit they're going to see through most of this game.
02:41That mid-block is so important.
02:44In between the lines, the speed of pass, the speed of movement off of it is just super sharp.
02:49But also being switched on to transition.
02:51This Cynicalese team really good in transition.
02:54Robinson with a ball in towards Christian Pulisic who steps it across goal.
02:57But cleared away only as far as Tim Rehm.
03:00Some early pressure here inside the opening three minutes.
03:03Tyler Adams, the Bournemouth midfielder, turns and rolls it backwards towards Mark McKenzie.
03:11Seven of the starting eleven today for the U.S. played at the World Cup in 2022.
03:16Six of the eleven started all four games.
03:18Including Turner who is in goal today.
03:20Rehm who is on the ball now.
03:22Adams.
03:23Rehm who is also starting every game in Qatar.
03:27And look at the fullbacks for the U.S.
03:29I mean we're playing a back three.
03:30I see all the debates.
03:31Look at how high they are.
03:33Bring it down the right side towards Dest.
03:56Freeman definitely the posture of Pochettino loves for the U.S.
04:02taking some risk but balancing, transitioning.
04:13It's crossroads into the middle but Senegal looking to clear.
04:18And there is a man down.
04:20Luke Wildman and Kyle Martino here in the broadcast booth.
04:24Bank of America Stadium.
04:26And Melissa Ortiz is pitch side.
04:28Guys it's full energy as we've seen in the first four minutes.
04:31And that's something that I saw even before the match started.
04:34On the players arrivals they were hyped up.
04:37It sensed like it was different than other games we've seen before.
04:41They had Snoop Dogg playing.
04:42They had Game Face on.
04:43And it's something that Mauricio Pochettino has even said.
04:45Since the roster release it seems like a sense of relief amongst the players.
04:50But also full focus.
04:51And that's what we're seeing.
04:52Especially in the first few minutes of this game.
04:55I mean you know it's game time when Snoop Dogg shows up.
04:57For sure.
05:00Mane down the left side.
05:01The former Liverpool man.
05:03And the referee gives the free kick here.
05:05The referee today.
05:06That's the experienced Scottish official.
05:0835-year-old Nick Walsh who takes charge of his second U.S. game.
05:12The last one was an 0-0 draw in Wales in Cardiff.
05:14November of 2020.
05:16Referee the Scottish FA Cup final a couple of years ago.
05:19A couple of World Cup qualifying matches in Europe in this last cycle as well.
05:31Pochettino talking about the energy and unity within the squad this week.
05:35Melissa mentioned that the players seem to be a little more relaxed.
05:38He said he was actually getting to see what they're really like now.
05:41Instead of the way that they were acting before.
05:44When they weren't sure if they were going to make it into the squad.
05:50But he was very clear today Maurizio Pochettino.
05:53Yes they want to compete.
05:54But the main win today would be getting back healthy.
05:58To the training camp in Atlanta.
06:00Yeah B's talked about it pre-game.
06:02You would like to see the starting 11.
06:04Two games in a row.
06:05That's going to play the first game of the World Cup.
06:07That's just not going to happen.
06:08I mean managing minutes.
06:10Weston and Chris players that are definitely going to be in that first game in the starting
06:15lineup if they're good enough.
06:18It's an unusual scenario in which we may see for the first time ever the starting 11
06:23in that first game.
06:26Seginio Desk down the right side brings it in for Berhalter and Adams in towards Rayner.
06:32Rayner's first start for club or country since December when he played from the opening
06:37whistle for Gladbach against Dortmund.
06:40He's got a goal on his last US start.
06:42Gio Rayner that was in Chester, Pennsylvania.
06:45The win against Paraguay last fall.
06:47This is remount wide to the left side for Robinson.
06:51Now Pepe.
06:52Lovely ball through from Pepe towards Christian Pulisic.
06:55Pulisic across.
06:56Goal!
06:57And it's knocked in from Dest.
06:581-0 for the United States.
07:01Just six minutes in here.
07:04Seginio Desk with a goal.
07:07And it was made by Christian Pulisic and Ricardo Pepe.
07:14Just a moment ago we were talking about how high the fullbacks in this Pochettino side
07:20are.
07:21But from Pepe.
07:22It's just wonderful build-up play to have the understanding that he can get turned there.
07:26But this is your right wing back.
07:27This is Desk.
07:28And watch the position he's coming from.
07:29You would think he's a center forward.
07:31I mean, that's just beautiful play there from Pepe to get turned.
07:34And the ball is perfect from Christian Pulisic.
07:37At this point, he takes a touch.
07:38Looks up.
07:39Put some pace on it.
07:40And it's a good finish because it skips slightly ahead of Desk.
07:45That's a wonderful start from the U.S.
07:50And that's why Dest is out there.
07:53That's why Pochettino has him in this side, has him in this team, and potentially is going
07:58to start him first game.
07:59Because what he can do going forward is pretty spectacular.
08:02Dest assisted on Christian Pulisic's goal against Duran in the win in the last World Cup in Qatar.
08:08Today, roles reversed as Pulisic gets the assist for Serginio Dest.
08:13Both of those players will be going to a second World Cup.
08:17Mori Jiao is down as the referee blows the whistle.
08:20But the half-keeper seems to be okay here.
08:26And watch Pepe.
08:28This is so good to have the awareness that Pochettino wants him to come back to the ball,
08:33wants him to hold it up.
08:34But with Pulisic not playing wide, Pulisic having that freedom to float around internally,
08:38it's always about how can you find him in those four positions.
08:41So rather than just playing safe, lovely little cut pass inside to Pulisic.
08:46And Baligan is going to start.
08:48If he's healthy, that's the number one up top in the ninth position.
08:51But Pepe, he's been, every time he's been asked, making a big statement for himself.
08:58Last time Ricciardo Pepe got a chance to start.
09:01Back in the fall of 2024, it was back-to-back starts, and he scored in both games.
09:06In fact, Pepe has four goals in his last six starts.
09:08He gets the call today and assists on the opening goal.
09:12With that ball in towards Christian Pulisic,
09:15who had no goals and one assist in his last eight U.S. games prior to this one today.
09:21Turning in the midfield, Kamara, the teammates of Baligan's at Monaco.
09:25The two of Claude Baligan's teammates at club level in this starting 11 for Senegal.
09:31De Atra right back, and Levine Kamara in midfield.
09:35Yeah, Luke, you were talking about Christian Pulisic.
09:37His 20th career assist, and it takes him to 52 career goal contributions,
09:41actually moving him past Eroquina Alda into sole possession of fourth all-time with this men's national team.
09:48It's his fifth cap today for the 27-year-old from Hershey, Pennsylvania.
09:52Some defending to do now for the United States.
09:59Jackets are standing over at the Galatasaray man,
10:02but it's the right-foot delivery instead, and headed away by Freeman.
10:14As it comes towards this right side, and De Atta.
10:18Senegal ranked number 14th in the world.
10:21The highest ever ranking was 12th in January.
10:23It will be their fourth World Cup, their third in a row.
10:26One of ten African teams at the World Cup,
10:29as Anthony Robinson goes down.
10:31He was caught there by Khabib Diara.
10:37And this intensity to close the ball down,
10:41if we go back to early Pochettino era,
10:44that was something that was so frustrating,
10:46is just the spirit, the competitive nature,
10:49to just get around the ball,
10:51to put in tackles to close people down.
10:54That's something that definitely started to show up.
10:56Once he made it very clear,
10:57he doesn't care what the name is on the back of the jersey.
10:59He's got to see competitive spirit out of the side.
11:02And he's seeing that early on in this game.
11:04He's also seen around 70 players over the course of the time
11:07that Maurizio Pochettino has been involved,
11:09but some players like Anthony Robinson
11:11have spent long periods of time
11:13where they've not been available, of course.
11:16Robinson starting both in March.
11:18They were his first appearances since the fall of 2024.
11:21He started the first four under Maurizio Pochettino,
11:25but then wasn't involved again until March,
11:27but such a crucial part of this side,
11:29as he was playing every minute of the 2022 World Cup
11:33in all four games for the U.S. in Qatar.
11:37Young central defender, Mamadou Saar of Chelsea,
11:39out wide to the left side,
11:41back-ups forward,
11:42picked up in the midfield,
11:43and back they go towards McKenzie.
11:45No Chris Richards involved today,
11:47still question marks about that ankle injury
11:50that he picked up right at the end of the season
11:52for Crystal Palace.
11:53Maurizio Pochettino saying ahead of this camp
11:56that the next few days will be key to Chris Richards.
11:59They felt it was better.
12:00He stayed at the incredible new facility in Atlanta
12:04rather than make the trip to Charlotte
12:06as he continues his recovery.
12:08Pap Chau, 45-year-old Senegalese head coach,
12:13replaced Al-Ussise in December of 2024.
12:16What a first game he has.
12:19Imagine looking at the draw in Grant's first game.
12:22Play-through towards Sadio Mane.
12:24McTernick comes out,
12:25he gets there just ahead of Sadio Mane.
12:27Mane sits, arms aloft,
12:30asking the referee if he should have got a penalty,
12:32but here come the U.S. once more down the right side
12:35and desks the goalscorer involved again.
12:43I'll give you a minute to think about it.
12:45It wasn't a penalty.
12:46From my angle, I watched the ball take off the way it had to
12:49in order for him to get a touch on it,
12:51and it was very, very close.
12:53That was a great plan.
12:55Put myself out on a limb.
12:57Well, there is VAR, so if you're wrong, we'll know.
13:00Well, this is why VAR has let us down a lot.
13:03It shouldn't take that long.
13:04It should be pretty clear pretty fast.
13:06Matt Turner was certainly confident from his reaction.
13:10Sadio Mane seemed sure it should have been a spot kick.
13:14This is Freeman down the right side,
13:15the former Orlando man.
13:16Back in here for Gio Reyna.
13:20Freeman linking up there with Destin.
13:22Out it goes on the far side for a throw.
13:28Just a little high line here from the U.S.
13:32And Mane, he's right there getting to it.
13:37That's not a conclusive replay.
13:41It did look like it was Turner's right hand
13:43that popped that ball away from Mane,
13:45even though Mane was trying to cut it away from him.
13:48Adams and Sadio Mane
13:52squaring up there.
13:53This is the replay you need.
13:55Right there.
13:56I mean, wonderful.
13:56And Mane looks like he even gets to it first,
13:59and just a little toe poke goes right into
14:01that strong right hand of Turner.
14:03And that's how tight that decision was
14:05done from Turner.
14:07And then makes that play
14:09and immediately picks the ball up
14:11and throws it 30, 40 yards down the field
14:13to start the transition.
14:15Sadio Mane now playing with Al Nasser.
14:18He's 34 years old,
14:19second most caps all-time for Senegal.
14:22Their all-time leading scorer.
14:25It will be his second World Cup.
14:28He missed Qatar with an injury,
14:29but played 90 minutes in all three games
14:32in 2018,
14:33scored against Japan
14:36in a 2-2 game
14:37in the group stage in Russia.
14:41Hey, guys, when you think about
14:42what Mauricio and some of the players have said
14:44about using this game
14:45as opportunity to build confidence,
14:47for Matt Turner,
14:49that's exactly that.
14:50Those 1v1s.
14:52Pulisic away down the left side.
14:53Pepe is in the middle.
14:54Pulisic will turn.
14:56And now he's on the edge of the box.
14:58Back, it comes to Dest.
15:00Adams.
15:04Pepe turning there against Sadio Mane,
15:06and out of play it goes on the far side.
15:12I want to go back to Melissa's point
15:14about confidence.
15:15Alex Freeman,
15:16a young player who absolutely deserves to be here
15:19and has improved so much.
15:21And it's one of the only reasons
15:23we can have Dest out there
15:24and play this really expansive, exciting back three
15:27where he has a high starting position
15:29is he has a player that can play center back,
15:30play fullback,
15:31and today against Mane,
15:33man, that'll give him some confidence
15:34if he has a great game
15:35against one of the world-class wingers
15:38in this tournament.
15:41Jackson coming forward
15:43as Robinson gets a touch.
15:45Sadio Mane.
15:47Diara.
15:49Diara through.
15:50It's Njai down the right.
15:51Back it comes,
15:51and over the bar from Nicholas Jackson.
15:54The first clear-cut opportunity
15:57for Senegal inside the U.S. penalty area.
15:59It comes 15 minutes in.
16:03Watch this lovely, delicate Meg pass right here.
16:08And perfect run.
16:09It just gets skipped into him.
16:11Yeah, Jackson's quality.
16:12You expect him to hit the target.
16:14That is a difficult chance
16:15as it doesn't...
16:16not only comes at him fast
16:18but skips right before him,
16:19and he can't keep it down.
16:22We were talking there, though, Kyle,
16:24about Alex Freeman
16:25and how much he deserves
16:26to be in this squad,
16:27and sometimes it's easy to forget
16:28that it was only this time last year
16:30when he made his debut.
16:32Patrick Adjaman,
16:33the former Charlotte man,
16:34in attendance here.
16:35He scored in the March window
16:37for the U.S.,
16:38and then that injury
16:39that will now keep him out,
16:40and he picked up with Derby Canty.
16:42Huge blow for Patrick Adjaman,
16:43but he'll be back,
16:44given his story.
16:45Look at Pepe.
16:46Look at the players
16:47that missed last time,
16:48and for the Diego Lunas
16:49and the Aidan Morrises
16:51and Tanner Tessmans
16:52and the Twins
16:53and all the players
16:54that were close
16:55and there were arguments
16:56for them to be included.
16:57Just use being left out
16:59the same way Pepe did
17:00as a challenge
17:00to make sure it is so clear
17:02you should be there next time.
17:03Yeah, my heart was broken
17:04for Adjaman,
17:06especially because
17:06I actually suffered
17:07the same injury
17:08prior to the World Cup,
17:09which was an Achilles tear.
17:10I actually shot him a DM,
17:11and we were chatting for a bit,
17:12and I gave him some words
17:13of not only condolences,
17:14but of optimism
17:15because things do get better,
17:16and you learn so much
17:17from recovery.
17:18So my big shout-out
17:20to Adjaman
17:21because I can't wait
17:21to see him continue to shine.
17:25Diata.
17:27That familiar man
17:28and Jai,
17:29the Everton man.
17:33Sarr.
17:34He was on loan
17:34at Strasbourg,
17:35came back to Chelsea,
17:36his parent club,
17:38in February.
17:40And the ball launched
17:41long towards Matt Turner.
17:52So back to Freeman,
17:53just last year,
17:54the Turquie game
17:55at Hartford
17:56when he made his debut.
17:58And there was a lot of talk
17:59at the time
17:59about this player
18:00who was on the rise
18:01getting his opportunity
18:02for really for the first time
18:04in Major League Soccer
18:05to be a regular starter
18:06with Orlando.
18:06So he goes on
18:08and then this is
18:09his 15th appearance
18:10in a row.
18:11Since that Turquie game,
18:12he's now played
18:12in 16 of 17 games
18:14for the United States.
18:15He was an MLS All-Star
18:17last year.
18:17He was in the Best XI.
18:18He was the MLS Young Player
18:19of the Year.
18:20Gets the move
18:20to Villarreal
18:21and now a World Cup squad
18:22all in the space
18:23of 12 months cut.
18:24That's incredible.
18:25That's how quickly,
18:26unfortunately,
18:27it can change quickly
18:27in the negative direction,
18:28but it can change
18:29very quickly
18:30in the positive direction
18:31as it has with him.
18:33Alex Freeman
18:33talked wonders
18:34about his relationship
18:35with the coaching staff
18:36and he said
18:37when he got onto this team
18:38he was a bit shy
18:39and he said
18:39talked for about an hour
18:41after his first training
18:42with Mauricio
18:43and said
18:44he told him
18:44what he needed to improve on
18:45but he saw
18:46that the confidence
18:47that he gave
18:48in his ability.
18:49He said
18:49this is what you're good at,
18:50this is what you need
18:51to work,
18:51hang on
18:51and look at him now.
18:55tracking back
18:56up against
18:56Anthony Robinson
18:58and those two
18:58have faced each other
18:59before in England.
19:02Villarreal
19:03Pulisic
19:03down the left side
19:04couldn't get
19:05past Diata
19:08and a free kick
19:09given here
19:09by
19:11referee Nick Jones.
19:12The US
19:12with their 7th goal
19:14inside the opening
19:1410 minutes
19:15under Mauricio
19:16Paciutino
19:17the last time
19:17was Gio Reyna's
19:184th minute goal against
19:19Paraguay back
19:20in November.
19:22Came today from Serginio Dest
19:26That's third career international goal
19:32His first goal since 2021 the last one coming in October of that year a 2-1 World Cup qualifying
19:39win against Costa Rica
19:41Great crowd in Charlotte, North Carolina today
19:45They are really into it
19:48You got the USA chance already. I'm guys the World Cup buzz. We're feeling it
19:57Next weekend the final game before the World Cup in Chicago at Soldier Field against Germany
20:07This one push forward down the right side for Pepe to chase Pulisic is in the middle
20:10Pepe rolls it in. It's Christian Pulisic around the keeper. It's Pulisic with a goal
20:17What's a start for Christian Pulisic? A goal and an assist in the first 20 minutes
20:24And the United States lead by two goals to nil
20:33And didn't he need that
20:39A delicious little sequence here. Look at Freeman
20:42You know inverts
20:43And the timing not only that past the pace of it with the run from Pepe
20:47And it's almost like training ground except for top speed against a team that is a dark horse for the
20:53tournament
20:54Watch Christian Pulisic just tiptoe that back line in the blind spot gets lost and this ball has to be
21:00perfect
21:01And it is
21:02and
21:03The touch and then how quickly he's able to get around the goalkeeper and finish it
21:06This will give you a look
21:08Perfect weight of this pass
21:11Lovely finish and at the top of the show we were talking about it people
21:15Worried about
21:15For questioning Christian Pulisic his form step a little bit. How's he gonna be in the tournament?
21:20He's a big-time player said it then I will say it again
21:23No worries about him performing in the big moments and look at what it means
21:27You know the friendlies are over that's how much it means right now with the world cup
21:33Moments away
21:35Christian Pulisic got a goal as well the penultimate game before
21:39Copa America
21:43Miss Pepe
21:45In fact it was the last game before Copa America that Brazil game in Orlando when he scored
21:51In the draw
21:53But it's been a while since he's been on the score sheet for the US November of 2024
21:59In the Nations League quarterfinal against St. Louis but a goal and an assist today
22:04And Riccardo Pepe having been involved in the first goal involved in the build-up for the second one as
22:09well
22:09Is Nicholas Jackson pushing it forward Sadio Mane is chasing
22:12Great defending there from Freeman
22:15Incredible
22:20Guys we're talking about Christian Pulisic and what everyone was saying and he knew it well you know a goal
22:24draw for club and country
22:26What is most impressive is that of course media putting pressure on him and him with such professionalism and confidence
22:33in saying
22:34I'm confident that good things are gonna come opportunities are coming ahead of us things can change fast
22:39He knew it he had a feeling inside of him that whether it's a knee on the ball or an
22:44actual goal like the one that he just scored
22:45It was gonna come and that's that's a true spirit of a not only professional but a world-class player
22:49I was just with
22:53Landon Donovan still arguably the best player and I think the best players ever played for the US and there
22:58were droughts there were times we didn't play well
23:00Yeah, there was that move to
23:03Germany when he was young and there were people criticizing them all throughout his career
23:07And the reason Landon was landed and became one of the best players ever is his belief in himself never
23:11Waver and Christian is a similar character
23:18He didn't have a goal in his last 19 league appearances
23:24From Milan
23:25This is first goal for club or country
23:28This is December the 28th
23:32As we get to the hydration break here at the midway mark in the first half
23:38Here's our AT&T net cam
23:43You can't see it and I don't know if you've seen a good replay yet, but just what a beautiful
23:50Goal that was a team play a great
23:53Pass in from peppy, you know, and I think people underestimate how good peppy is turning facing forward and that's
23:58twice now
23:59He's been able to set up a goal by getting in those pockets between the lines
24:05Well, this is a start that Mauricio Pochettino would have been
24:09Dreaming about certainly Christian Pulisic would the first goal coming the seventh minute
24:14Serginio Dest scoring it Pulisic with the assist then Pulisic with the goal assisted by Peppy in the 20th minute
24:21for 2-0 here
24:22Against Senegal
24:24That is the goal that we need to go before
24:26Okay, come on keep going play
24:30And now, and now stop, and now
24:32Listen, team
24:34Now you see that it's impossible to play
24:36Play here, stay at a little bit
24:38Better angle
24:39And we play and we play safe
24:42Because in that moment
24:43We are open, okay?
24:45That's one
24:45But we need to read before
24:47Okay, just like your day Kyle with a laptop hold, but no?
24:59Yeah, it was a desktop
25:00You couldn't carry a desktop out there and show us what was going on
25:04Breaking the plug across to the edge of the bench
25:08But we spoke to Roberto Martinez in Atlanta and he talked about the fact that whether you like it or
25:14not
25:14If there is to be this hydration break, you have to make sure as a head coach
25:17You are prepared to get the most advantage possible out of these moments and Mauricio Pochettino they're obviously ready
25:24I mean listen in the modern game the thing that I think is a bit ridiculous is the circus in
25:29the technical area coaches just screaming and dancing nonstop
25:33That has very little impact
25:34I love Pep, I love Arteta, I'm an Arsenal fan, but watching this endless on the sidelines screaming go here,
25:40go there
25:40That doesn't have much of an impact, but you have an impact at halftime
25:44And this is almost a half of the half time that they will have that chance to look at film,
25:50to look at photos, to look at video
25:51That stuff helps that that reset will matter and so that's that's interesting this world cup where there's another tactical
25:59opportunity
25:59To get information off to your team that they can put into effect real time
26:10U.S. Soccer on TBS is presented by Volkswagen live life in the driver's seat
26:2211 days until the world cup begins 12 days until the first game for the United States against Paraguay in
26:30L.A.
26:31Then it's off to Seattle to face Australia before finishing the group back in L.A.
26:36This Senegal side in Group I they open up against the two-time world cup winners France at MetLife in
26:42New Jersey
26:43They then play
26:45Erling Haaland and Norway also in New Jersey before heading up to Canada to take on Iraq and Toronto to
26:52close the game
26:52At the group stage on June 26th
26:58When I was looking at that potential second game in the group of Senegal against Norway Kyle Erling Haaland you
27:04know how good he is
27:05But until you see the stats 55 goals in 49 caps at international level for Erling Haaland
27:12Incredible record so Senegal will have to deal with that in game two of their world cup campaign
27:19What a group oh man
27:23Maurizio Pochettino said he didn't want to disrespect anybody but he wasn't sure whether to call Senegal the African champions
27:29or not given what happens
27:31With the way that
27:31AFCON final finished and then the subsequent legal issues
27:36I've never seen anything like it I guess forget who won that match you'd have to say impressive what Senegal
27:42did in it especially against a team like Morocco
27:48Skipping away down the right the foul
27:51For those fans that have no idea what we're talking about
27:54Just go go look it up it's worth rewatching find it on YouTube if you've got about 30 minutes of
27:59time
28:00And that was just the bit when they walked off and came back on again
28:05But if you take the final as a win they actually won six of their seven games in the tournament
28:09The only draw was against DR Congo in the group stage they had five clean sheets along the way Senegal
28:14They are actually a team in form
28:16But today they've been taken apart by the US
28:19Maurizio Pochettino was halfway down the touchline there screaming at the desk to move a little bit instead of being
28:25in the wall
28:26This is played along the edge of the box and the US can break here and it's desk that picks
28:30it up here
28:31Up against the mean camera and then the cross field ball
28:36Up to the right side
28:37Berhalter chasing forward
28:39This is Freeman from distance and straight against Diara
28:45Reyna
28:47Floated neatly out to Berhalter on that far side and straight into the arms of Maurizio
28:55The fifth cap for the goalkeeper the 32 year old
29:00Who has been beaten twice here in the opening 28 minutes in Charlotte
29:10Talk about Senegal facing France and the difficulty of that opening game of the tournament
29:15They had it on this day 24 years ago their first ever World Cup game
29:19And here's a chance here for Pepe, Pepe drives it across goal
29:24No one in there as Dest is pushing forward
29:28And it comes back towards Mamadou Sa
29:31First ever World Cup game 24 years ago today they beat the defending champions France in the opening game of
29:36the World Cup
29:361-0 in Seoul, Bouba Diop scored the goal
29:39But the team for France that day
29:41The likes of Fabien Barthez, Teran, Desailly, Vieira, Henri, Trezeguet
29:47Wasn't a bad lineup, Senegal went in in the first ever World Cup game and beat them
29:51Unfortunately this French team isn't that, isn't that, isn't that, isn't that, isn't that, isn't that much worse
29:56Illiman and Jai down the right side as he cuts in and
29:59Tala Adams gets a foot to it, across it goes there from
30:01Camera and now picked up in the midfield
30:03And the Johnson's distance goes wide
30:06And it's the youngster, Baras Sopoko and Jai
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