Not all friendlies are created equal, and Sunday’s exhibition between the United States and Senegal in Charlotte feels like it carries a significant amount of weight. At least for the Stars & Stripes.
While Senegal will view this match as an opportunity to gel ahead of the start of the World Cup, the Americans have several significant questions to answer before the tournament gets underway on June 11. Both on the field and off of it.
A strong performance against Senegal at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday would go a long way to quieting some of the noise around the camp.
If they weren’t drawn into such a difficult group, Senegal would be one of the trendiest dark horses in the 48-team field at the World Cup. The Lions of Teranga are bursting with talent, but they’re also an experienced bunch with several players about to embark on their second World Cup.
Sadio Mane is the team’s most recognizable name, but it’s the players behind the former Liverpool star who make this team tick.
Iliman Ndiaye is an incredibly bright attacking midfielder and one of the best 1-on-1 players in the world, Pape Gueye does a bit of everything in the middle of the field, and the ageless Idrisse Gueye is a master at breaking up counterattacks and putting out fires before they get out of hand.
If they’re on song, the Americans have the pieces to combat Senegal’s ingenuity in the middle of the park. Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, and Christian Pulisic are a good answer to what Pape Thiaw can throw at them.
That said, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen the Yanks play a cohesive, united brand of soccer. The buildup to the World Cup has been as much about off-the-pitch drama as it has been about the team’s form, which has been a mixed bag for the better part of 18 months.
There have been some highs, most notably a 5-1 drubbing of Uruguay in November, but more recently there have been lows. The last time we saw the USMNT on the field, they were getting picked apart by Belgium and stymied by Portugal.
On paper, it makes sense that the United States is a slight favorite in this match, especially with home-field advantage, but there are more reasons to distrust the Stars & Stripes right now than there are to back them.
Senegal has plenty of value as an underdog in this tilt.
The Play: Senegal moneyline (+200, FanDuel)
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
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