TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Alex Freeman scored twice and Sebastian Berhalter and Diego Luna each had a goal as the United States beat Uruguay 5-1 on Tuesday, heading into the World Cup year they will play together on a five-game unbeaten streak.
The locals scored four goals in the first half. Tanner Tessmann scored in the 68th and the United States scored five goals against a South American opponent and a top-30 team for the first time.
The 16th-ranked Americans continued their recovery from disappointing performances in the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup.
They have just two friendlies left in March, likely against Belgium and Portugal, before Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino announces his World Cup call-up.
Freeman, Berhalter and Tessmann scored their first international goals and the United States scored five goals against a non-CONCACAF team for the first time since a 5-1 win over Scotland in 2012. The Americans won four games, including three in a row, during their five-game unbeaten streak against World Cup-qualifying teams.
Uruguay's Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off in the 64th for slipping his studs, the first to attack Berhalter. La Celeste, ranked 15th and heading to their fifth consecutive World Cup, entered the friendly on a six-game unbeaten run.
Berhalter, the son of former coach Gregg Berhalter, gave the U.S. the lead in the 17th with a free kick and Freeman headed in Berhalter's corner in the 20th.
Freeman added a goal in the 31st and Luna extended the lead to four goals in the 42nd.
With the starting lineup consisting mostly of substitutes, the United States scored four goals in a half for the first time against a South American team.
Uruguay's Georgian de Arrascaeta scored with a bicycle kick in the first minute of first-half stoppage time, his 13th international goal, after goalkeeper Matt Freese and defenders Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie interfered with each other and failed to clear the ball.
Before kick-off and again at the end of the match, Pochettino hugged his compatriot Marcelo Bielsa, the Uruguay coach who signed him when he was 13 for Argentine club Newell's Old Boys.
The United States took the lead after Manuel Ugarte fouled Hadji Wright just outside the box. Berhalter played a one-two with Sergiño Dest and struck for the first time, beating goalkeeper Christopher Fiermarin at the far post.
Freeman beat Bentancur with a header from Berhalter's corner kick to score the second goal. Timmy Tillman slid in and beat Naitan Nandez for the third goal. Tillman opened the scoring to Trusty, who passed the ball to Freeman. He dribbled the ball between Ronald Araujo and Manuel Ugarte and scored from close range, becoming the second American guard to dunk since Aaron Long in 2019 against Trinidad and Tobago.
Luna scored his fourth international goal after Tillman's cross deflected off Rodrigo Zalazar and rolled towards him near the penalty spot.
Tessmann headed in a cross from Joe Reyna, another second-half goal, from a short corner kick.
Pochettino changed nine starting players, leaving only Freese and Dest.
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