TAMPA — Alex Freeman scored twice and Sebastian Berhalter and Diego Luna had a goal apiece as the United States overwhelmed Uruguay with a four-goal first half in a 5-1 win Tuesday night to head into a World Cup year on a five-game unbeaten streak.
Tanner Tessmann added a 68th-minute goal for the United States, which scored five times against a South American opponent and a top-30 team for the first time.
The 16th-ranked Americans continued their autumn turnaround after lackluster performances in the Concacaf Nations League and the Gold Cup. They have just two more games, March friendlies probably against Belgium and Portugal, before Coach Mauricio Pochettino selects his World Cup roster.
Freeman, Berhalter and Tessmann scored their first international goals as the United States got five goals against a team from outside the Concacaf region for the first time since it beat Scotland, 5-1, in 2012. The Americans have won four games, including three straight, during this five-game unbeaten streak against World Cup-bound teams.
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Uruguay’s Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off in the 64th minute for a high sliding tackle on Berhalter. La Celeste, ranked 15th and headed to its fifth straight World Cup, had entered the friendly on a six-game unbeaten streak.
Berhalter, a son of former coach Gregg Berhalter, put the Americans ahead in the 17th minute off a free kick, and Freeman headed in Berhalter’s corner kick in the 20th. Freeman added a 31st-minute goal, and Luna opened a four-goal lead in the 42nd.
Fielding a starting lineup of mostly backups, the United States scored four goals in a half for the first time against a South American team.
Uruguay’s Giorgian de Arrascaeta scored on a seven-yard overhead kick in the first minute of first-half stoppage time, for his 13th international goal, after goalkeeper Matt Freese and defenders Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie converged but failed to clear the ball.
Before the start and again at the final whistle, Pochettino hugged Uruguay’s Marcelo Bielsa, the coach who signed him as a 13-year-old for Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina.
The Americans went ahead after Manuel Ugarte fouled Haji Wright just to the side of the penalty area. Berhalter exchanged passes with Sergiño Dest and one-timed a shot past goalkeeper Cristopher Fiermarin inside the far post.
Freeman outjumped Bentancur to head in Berhalter’s corner kick for the second goal, and Timmy Tillman slid to win a challenge against Nahitan Nández, leading to the third goal. Tillman passed wide to Trusty, who one-touched the ball into the path of Freeman. He dribbled between Ronald Araújo and Ugarte to score from short range, becoming just the second American defender with a two-goal game after Aaron Long in 2019 against Trinidad and Tobago.
Luna got his fourth international goal after Tillman’s cross deflected off Rodrigo Zalazar and rolled into his path near the penalty spot.
Tessmann headed in a cross from fellow second-half substitute Gio Reyna following a short corner kick.
Pochettino changed nine starters, keeping only Freese and Dest, who played wide right. Trusty made his second start, his first since his debut in March 2023, and Tillman made his second start, his first since his debut in January 2024.
— Associated Press
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