a brace from the fullback alex freeman led the United States of America for a surprise 5-1 victory over uruguay Tuesday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
Buoyed by skillful use of set-piece plays, the US opened the scoring in the 17th minute when midfielder Sebastian Berhalter A shot into the back of the net from a free kick. Three minutes later, Freeman doubled the lead after Berhalter’s corner. In the 31st minute, the ever-active Freeman once again burst forward and scored his second goal of the night.
Eager for more, the USMNT then made it 4-0 via a goal diego luna In the 42nd minute, shortly before Uruguay allowed a dramatic bicycle kick georgian d’arrasqueta This made the scoreline 4-1 till the midway break.
Uruguay’s short-term momentum was cut short after half-time when the captain was shown a red card. Rodrigo BentancurWith a person’s benefits and options like renewed energy gio reyna, Tanner TesmanAnd Folarin BalogunThe USMNT took advantage in the 68th minute with a goal by Tesman following a Reyna cross.
By the final whistle, a 5–1 victory was secured for the North Americans, giving them a fascinating victory to end 2025. With the result in hand, American coach Mauricio Pochettino and his roster will move on world cup The year ended with a five-match undefeated streak.
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Manager’s rating out of 10
Mauricio Pochettino, 9 –It is becoming increasingly difficult to criticize Pochettino. There’s no doubt we’ve seen some obstacles for coaches looking to reset the American culture and roster in 2025, but over the last three windows, we’ve seen progress. Does he know his ideal best XI? It doesn’t matter to Argentina whose tinkering has created competition and is unbeaten in five matches. Shifting between a 3-4-2-1 and a 4-3-3, Pochettino once again took another chance with his changed XI and it clearly paid off.
Player Rating (0-10; 10 = Best, 5 = Average)
gk matt freeze7 — He picked up a point or two in the first half due to a momentary misstep that almost cost Uruguay a goal, but Friese shouldn’t be too harsh on himself. He wasn’t very busy, but he provided a significant savings and a higher claim.
df john tolkien7 — There was some good dribbles down the left flank and good connection with the midfield. He was sometimes quieter than his more active peers.
df auston reliable7 — Some problems for the defender which also helped Freeman.
df Mark McKenzie6 — He lost his man during Uruguay’s only goal, but formed a good partnership with Trusty in the backline.
DF Alex Freeman, 9 — Two goals and plenty of defensive work for the roaming fullback. What more could you possibly want from a man of the match?
mutual fund aidan morris6 — At times looked cautious in the starting eleven, but this was probably due to his role in which he had to drop back to support the backline. Credit should be given for his shots on target.
mutual fund Timmy Tillman8 — Tillman created threat with his distribution and had a key tackle that kickstarted one of Freeman’s goals. His assist for Luna’s goal was technically a slight deflection, but it’s still worth noting.
MF Sebastian Berhalter, 9 — A beautiful goal, a pin-perfect assist as the leading set-piece taker, and some vital recoveries for the midfielder who also came up with his key passes. Greetings, Berhalter.
family welfare sergino destination8 — It was a subtle assist for Berhalter, but still an assist for the fullback who was deployed as a risk-taking right winger. When needed, he has shown that he can lead the attack without any defensive responsibility.
family welfare Haji Wright7 — Wright did a lot of the dirty work as the guy fighting for the ball and helping win fouls in dangerous areas. No goals or assists, but still a step forward.
FW Diego Luna, 8 — At first he struggled to connect his passes, then made brilliant runs to add to the lopsided scoreline and complete his goal. Also helped defensively.
Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes do not receive a rating)
Family Welfare Gio Reyna, 8 — Reyna had the assist on Tesman’s goal and there was a noticeable increase in energy in the second half.
MF Tanner Tesman, 8 — Followed up with his first goal at international level, shattering any hopes Uruguay had of a comeback.
FW Folarin Bolagun, 6 — There was limited time to make an impact, but there were some improvements.
df max arfstonN/A — Moving forward he had perfect looks.
mutual fund Brandon AaronsonN/A — Limited touches on the ball for late substitutes.
mutual fund cristian roldanN/A — Brought in in the 89th minute.
