U.S. beats Senegal 3-2 in World Cup warm-up

The United States men’s national soccer team earned a confidence-boosting 3-2 victory over Senegal in a World Cup warm-up match Sunday afternoon at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The result marked a positive turn for the squad following two previous friendly losses and provided a final competitive test before the tournament begins next month.

Facing the 14th-ranked African champions, the 16th-ranked Americans established control early. Christian Pulisic assisted Sergiño Dest’s opening goal in the sixth minute and then scored himself in the 19th, ending a five-month goal drought for both club and country. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino made sweeping changes at halftime, substituting 10 of his 11 starters. In the second half, striker Folarin Balogun scored the decisive goal in the 63rd minute, though he had another strike disallowed for offside. Senegal’s Sadio Mané scored twice, including a goal just before halftime.

Pochettino emphasized the psychological importance of the win for the team and its supporters after recent defeats. The importance for our continuous improvement is also for the fans who really believe in us, Pochettino said. He added that entering the World...