00:04Welcome to the Allstate Continental Classico on TBS.
00:08There are just two more games to go before the World Cup begins for the United States.
00:13Today, a showdown in Charlotte, North Carolina.
00:17The roster has been named for some a second opportunity to play on the world's biggest stage of all.
00:22For others, a dream turned into reality this week as they got the call to represent their country
00:27in a World Cup for the first time.
00:31One of those players, Kyle, who has seen it all before
00:34and was consistent in the lineups throughout the World Cup in Qatar is Christian Pulisic.
00:39What an incredible journey with ups and downs to get to this moment.
00:42I see a lot of people that have talked about maybe being a little bit worried with his form
00:48dipping with club and country over the second half of the season.
00:51It doesn't concern me whatsoever.
00:53I mean, Christian Pulisic has proved he's a big game player, big-time player.
00:57You don't become the poster boy without being able to step up.
00:59So he is going to be there game one and through the tournament, making the U.S. fans proud.
01:05At the end of a week when Maurizio Pochettino announced his 26-man roster for the World Cup,
01:12we are on the way in Charlotte, less than two weeks away from the kickoff.
01:17In Chester, Pennsylvania, the win against Paraguay.
01:20Last fall, this is remount wide to the left side for Robinson.
01:25Now Pepe, lovely ball through from Pepe towards Christian Pulisic.
01:29Pulisic across, goal, and it's knocked in from Dest.
01:331-0 for the United States.
01:35Just six minutes in here.
01:38Serginio Dest with a goal.
01:42And it was made by Christian Pulisic and Riccardo Pepe.
01:48Well, just a moment ago, we were talking about how high the fullbacks in this Pochettino side are,
01:55but from Pepe.
01:56It's just wonderful build-up play to have the understanding that he can get turned there.
02:00But this is your right wing back.
02:01This is Dest.
02:02And watch the position he's coming from.
02:03You would think he's a center forward.
02:05I mean, that's just beautiful play there from Pepe to get turned.
02:08And the ball is perfect from Christian Pulisic.
02:11At this point, he takes a touch, looks up, puts some pace on it.
02:14And it's a good finish because it skips slightly ahead of Dest.
02:19That's a wonderful start from the U.S.
02:24And that's why Dest is out there.
02:27That's why Pochettino has him in this side, has him in this team,
02:31and potentially is going to spend some confidence if he has a great game
02:34against one of the world-class wingers in this tournament.
02:41Jackson coming forward as Robinson gets a touch.
02:44Sadio Mane, Diarra, Diarra through it,
02:49some Jai down the right, back it comes,
02:51and over the bar from Nicholas Jackson.
02:54The first play-cut opportunity for Senegal inside the U.S. penalty area.
02:58It comes 15 minutes in.
03:02Watch this lovely, delicate, big pass right here.
03:07And perfect run, it just gets skipped into him.
03:11Next weekend, the final game before the World Cup.
03:14In Chicago, it's Soldier Field against Germany.
03:20It's one push forward down the right side for Pepe to chase.
03:23Pulisic is in the middle.
03:24Pepe rolls it in.
03:25It's Christian Pulisic around the keeper.
03:27It's Pulisic with a goal.
03:30What a start for Christian Pulisic.
03:34A goal and an assist in the first 20 minutes.
03:38And the United States lead by two goals to nil.
03:47And didn't he need that?
03:53A delicious little sequence here.
03:54Look at Freeman.
03:56You know, inverts.
03:57And the timing, not only of that pass, the pace of it, but the run from Pepe.
04:01I mean, it's almost like training ground except for top speed against a team that is a dark horse for
04:06the tournament.
04:07And watch Christian Pulisic just tiptoe that back line.
04:10In the blind spot.
04:11That gets lost.
04:12And this ball has to be perfect.
04:14And it is.
04:16The touch and then how quickly he's able to get around the goalkeeper and finish it.
04:20This will give you a look.
04:22Perfect weight of this pass.
04:25Lovely finish.
04:26And at the top of the show, we were talking about it.
04:28People worried about questioning Christian Pulisic.
04:31His form's tiptoe a little bit.
04:32How's he going to be in the tournament?
04:33He's a big-time player.
04:35He said it then.
04:35I will say it again.
04:37No worries about him performing in the big moments.
04:39And look at what it means.
04:41Unfortunately, this French team isn't that much worse.
04:46Illiman and Jai down the right side as he cuts in.
04:49And Tyler Adams gets a foot to it.
04:50A cross it goes there from camera.
04:52Now picked up in the midfield.
04:53And the distance goes wide.
04:55And it's the youngster, Baris Apolko and Jai, the Bayern Munich man.
05:05What a talented player.
05:07I was texting with John Thorrington, who's leading the charge with LAFC.
05:11And they co-own, with Bayern Munich, the academy that this incredible player came out.
05:17Double.
05:19But not bad company to be in when you're coming on to make your Bundesliga debut for Jamal Musiala.
05:24This is Pulisic down the left.
05:26Pulisic towards the byline.
05:28Oh, just over the top of Pepe.
05:29But it comes all the way for Verhalter on that right side.
05:32Verhalter stands the cross back into the box.
05:33Pepe heads down.
05:35Robinson's shot is behind.
05:36And it's a corner for the U.S. on the far side.
05:41The U.S. is just absolutely irresistible.
05:43Lovely step over.
05:44And Pepe just reads it near post.
05:47And love that floated pass in from Verhalter.
05:50And Pepe does the right job.
05:51Just nods it down.
05:53And Robinson, I think this is going right in the corner.
05:56Maybe just getting there.
06:02This has been a story of U.S. dominance through the opening 35 minutes.
06:06Turned over here, though, towards Illiman and Jai.
06:08It's an opportunity for Jai.
06:11Turner makes the save.
06:12I think it was going into the side netting anyway.
06:14But Matt Turner puts it behind.
06:17And a corner coming for center goal there.
06:19First of the game.
06:20Verhalter just a little slow gets caught on the ball.
06:22But smart here not to dangle a foot in.
06:25And give up a silly penalty.
06:26You've got Green assist at the first.
06:28Gets this one away towards halfway.
06:30Picked up by Jacobs.
06:31Down that left side it goes.
06:33Sadio Mane will have a run here at Freeman.
06:34Sadio Mane's ball across.
06:36Goal!
06:36And Turner with a big stop.
06:38Behind it goes for another corner.
06:48Might have been Freeman's foot.
06:49Don't know who that deflects off of.
06:51But it's hard to tell there.
06:53Getting the armband.
06:54He said he won't change what he does or how he does it.
06:57But it's the highest honour he's got.
06:59This is Pulisic.
07:01The way opens up for Christian Pulisic.
07:04And the block coming in there from Avdolisek.
07:06Has Pulisic tried to find a way through?
07:08Senegal give it away.
07:10Turned over straight towards Pulisic once again.
07:12Now it's Reyna.
07:15Reyna's ball chipped in over the top of Pep.
07:17Lovely idea.
07:18Vintage Ian Wright Arsenal jersey.
07:20Wearing a problem.
07:22I was with Josie Altidore and Mo Adut watching the game and Melissa.
07:27It was really fun even though it was a bad day for us Archie fans.
07:30The ars ball to us.
07:32Mane!
07:34Senegal get one back right at the end of the first half.
07:39Their all-time leading scorer.
07:41Sadio Mane finds the bottom corner past Matt Turner.
07:48And we've talked about it.
07:50Transition.
07:51It's just the only moment it was too easy to play in between the lines and no real player
07:56getting there to block the passing lane.
07:58And Tyler Adams on the other side of the field.
08:00You can see his frustration.
08:01Weight of this pass.
08:02Wonderful.
08:03And even with the shove there from Adams.
08:06I mean this is the quality of Sadio Mane.
08:08I mean it gets absolutely barreled.
08:11After he strikes it.
08:13That's all you have.
08:14Mane probably frustrating.
08:16And Melissa's been speaking to Maurizio Pochettino.
08:20Mariusz and I, we walked the perimeter of the field as the second half kicked off.
08:24And he said no, it was a really good first half.
08:26The team did a really good job.
08:27Good performance.
08:28High intensity.
08:29First 25 minutes he was really happy.
08:31He said unfortunately.
08:32It's Balogun with a chance.
08:34Balogun scores.
08:37Straight off the bench at halftime.
08:40And Balogun scores within four minutes.
08:49The U.S. restore their two goal advantage.
08:59Great pressure here.
09:01Not only the toe poke there.
09:04But that is such a lovely pass.
09:08Obviously the deflection helps him out.
09:11Just left Tillman here.
09:12As he wins it back.
09:14Looks up.
09:15Just cuts it right through the legs of the defender.
09:16It's really tight.
09:17Whether he was onside or not.
09:19It's not.
09:19The referees pulled it back here.
09:21Yeah.
09:22It looked like it was close.
09:22Yeah.
09:23I was just wondering if the...
09:26For so long it looked as if it might not happen.
09:28But...
09:29Trusty and Celtic winning the league and the cup in Scotland.
09:35I caught Trusty in the elevator this morning.
09:39And here's the chance as Freddie comes out.
09:41And this one might go in.
09:43It's not Kidd on the line.
09:45Senegal get the goal.
09:49Miles Robinson couldn't keep it out.
10:01We'll see if there was a final touch from someone here closer to goal.
10:05It looked like a foul up top.
10:07But regardless, just a series of mistakes here.
10:11Brady just hesitated for a second.
10:16And it looked like Mane is the one that puts it in in the end.
10:20And just this little hesitation right there.
10:22Otherwise, I think he gets to that ball.
10:24And he doesn't get his arms up high.
10:26Yeah.
10:27Hard to be super critical of the goalkeeper on that first play.
10:30But just had to do better with that.
10:32And then Mane just making sure that it was going to be an amazing goal line clearance that Mane's not
10:38there to just power it in.
11:03And the United States are back in front.
11:17Watch this footwork from Russell McKinney.
11:18One touch.
11:19And that second touch with his left foot.
11:20I mean, it's just top shelf.
11:23And that's a lovely ball from Tim Weah.
11:25Cuts it between the defender's legs.
11:27Watch this.
11:27He knows he's got to come back against the green.
11:30And Balogun, after the deflection, just gets his footing right.
11:34Two little small steps.
11:35And he's not going to miss from there.
11:38Yeah, the ball sets up perfectly for him.
11:42That's a lovely finish.
11:43And they're basically challenging VAR to...
11:45What do you got now?
11:47What do you got now?
11:48Come on at halftime.
11:51And the U.S. starting to get more into a flow as well as Senegal make their changes.
11:58And this is McKinney with the ball through.
12:00And it's Balogun once again!
12:02It was rising.
12:03Might have been offside.
12:04The flag never went up.
12:09It's wide open, isn't it?
12:15Perfect weight on this pass.
12:16And he's onside.
12:17Yeah.
12:17You can see.
12:18A couple players keeping him on, you know, that shove.
12:21I think it was solid.
12:22For Sebastian Berhalter.
12:23Well, there you go.
12:24Berhalter, the only one that didn't end his day at halftime from the starting 11.
12:29He got the chance to carry on until the 75th minute here as this one's played through.
12:32It's the chance again!
12:34And now it comes back for Alston.
12:36This is McKinney off the post.
12:39Surely now.
12:39Oh, no.
12:40The save again from Diao.
12:45How did they not score there?
12:49McKinney Tillman.
12:50This is excellent.
12:53And for Tillman, what a lovely pass.
12:55And to know that Balogun's there, I mean, how did this go, I don't know.
12:59Berhalter from distance.
13:01He scored some lovely goals for both clubbing.
13:03No, I just thought, you know, your guy David Beckham, may as well mention him.
13:09Stolen away by Zendey Hasso.
13:12It's a chance for Alex Zendey Hasso to finish it.
13:15Zendey Hasso couldn't.
13:16As the block came in to put it behind for a corner.
13:21It was Mbao who got back.
13:24And denied Zendey Hasso the goal.
13:27I love this pressure.
13:27I love it.
13:28Obviously, it's a terrible giveaway, but Zendey has got to be there to force it.
13:32Right there.
13:33Just taking his angle down a little bit more.
13:35Support that team here today.
13:38And have been heard throughout.
13:41As Maurizio Pochettino and Jesus Perez continue to shout instructions onto the field
13:48to make sure that their players stay switched on.
13:53But the final whistle goes.
13:55It's a victory for the United States against one of Africa's best.
14:01As Maurizio Pochettino's men win it by three goals to two.
14:06And a goal and an assist for Christian Pulisic.
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