AMICAL USA-SENEGAL : dynamiques opposées, retrouvailles et duel Thiaw-Pochettino, un test grandeur nature avant le Mondial
Twelve days before the start of the World Cup, Senegal faces the United States this Sunday in a friendly match. This encounter will serve as a dress rehearsal for both teams, eager to fine-tune their preparations before the big event.
Opposing dynamics
The United States enters this match at a delicate time. Mauricio Pochettino's men are coming off two consecutive friendly defeats against Portugal (2-0) and Belgium (5-2), and will try to regain confidence before the start of the World Cup.
Senegal, on the other hand, is enjoying a much more favorable run of form. Unbeaten in their last ten matches, the Lions of Teranga haven't lost since November 2025 against Brazil (2-0). During the last FIFA international window, Pape Thiaw's men confirmed their good form by defeating Gambia (3-1) and then Peru (2-0).
A reunion between club partners
This match will also be an opportunity to witness several reunions between players who regularly cross paths in European leagues.
Pape Gueye could thus reunite with his club teammate Freeman, while Ismaïla Sarr will face Chris Richards, both Conference League winners. Another particularly interesting matchup will pit Ligie 1 players Folarin Balogun against Lamine Camara.
However, fans will miss out on the reunion between Moussa Niakhaté and Tanner Tessmann. Despite a convincing season with Lyon, the American midfielder was not included in Mauricio Pochettino's final squad.
Pape Thiaw faces the Pochettino challenge
Beyond individual players, the tactical duel between the two coaches will be one of the main attractions of the match.
Since taking over as manager of the United States, Mauricio Pochettino has made numerous adjustments, notably alternating between a 3-4-2-1 formation, which allowed him to string together three consecutive victories between October and November 2025, including a 5-1 win against Uruguay, and a more traditional 4-3-3. This search for balance has not yet enabled him to halt America's poor run of form.
On the other side, Pape Thiaw quickly established himself with an offensive and solid 4-2-3-1 formation that has served him well since he took over.
The Senegalese coach, however, knows how to adapt his system when circumstances require it. He notably opted for a three-man defense against Kenya before the AFCON with a resounding victory (8-0), before using the same formation in the final to compensate for the absence of Krépin Diatta.
With less than two weeks until the World Cup, this Senegal-USA match is much more than just a friendly. Between current form, the reunion of players, and the tactical clash between Pape Thiaw and Mauricio Pochettino, this encounter will offer a valuable indicator of the two teams' level of preparation.
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