TAMPA, Fla. – A depleted and rotated U.S. men’s national team stunned Uruguay, 5-1, in a friendly here at Raymond James Stadium on Tuesday. The USMNT blew past expectations, and past a team full of World Cup veterans, to close 2025 on a high.
The U.S. is now unbeaten in its last five games, with wins over the likes of Japan, Paraguay and Uruguay in that span.
The Americans raced out to a 4-0 lead via goals from three players who weren’t in the national team picture at this time last year: Sebastian Berhalter, Alex Freeman and Diego Luna.
They entered the game with, on paper, a stark lack of international experience — less than half as much as the Uruguay starting 11. But they went ahead via Berhalter’s first U.S. goal — a curling kick off a designed set piece in the 17th minute.
Berhalter then supplied Freeman three minutes later with his first international goal, a header at the back post off a corner.
Freeman scored a ridiculous second, and the USMNT’s third, in the 31st minute. His weaving run from the left wing highlighted the absurdity of the U.S. route. Timmy Tillman, who originally wasn’t supposed to be on this roster, won the ball back with a crunching tackle. Tillman passed to Auston Trusty, a center back, on the left touchline. Tillman slid Freeman, the right-sided defender, into the box. Freeman dipped past FC Barcelona defender Ronald Araújo, scored via a deflection, and wheeled away in celebration yet again.
He was one of nine changes to the U.S. lineup. The last time head coach Mauricio Pochettino rotated his lineup so heavily, the reserves got embarrassed by Switzerland, 4-0, in June.
This time, they were up 4-0 after 42 minutes. Luna scored the fourth as Uruguayan shoulders began to slump.
Uruguay’s Giorgian de Arrascaeta got a goal back just before halftime, and Pochettino was displeased. But the U.S. re-focused at the break, held its lead, and then all but secured the win when Uruguay’s Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off for a rough tackle on Berhalter in the 64th minute.
Four minutes later, Tanner Tessmann scored the USMNT’s fifth, flicking a Gio Reyna cross past exasperated goalkeeper Cristopher Fiermarin.
The win, against a team ranked 15th by FIFA and 12th by Elo, was the USMNT’s most impressive under Pochettino. It was surprising, given the starting lineups. And it was emphatic.
Here’s a deeper look at a stunning result:
Alex Freeman (16) scores twice for the USA vs. Uruguay (Dustin Markland / USSF / Getty Images)
Alex Freeman pushes for World Cup job
It would be easy to make an assumption when looking at the U.S. depth chart and plug Freeman in as a valuable depth player. Surely Sergiño Dest and Tim Weah would be ahead of him in the pecking order at right wingback.
That may be true. Or maybe not. Maybe Pochettino unlocked a way to keep Freeman on the field even if it’s not at wingback.
Plugged into the right-sided center back/fullback role in the U.S.’s transitional back line, the Orlando City defender put in the performance of a lifetime against Uruguay. First, he used his size to outleap Uruguayan defenders and head home a finish.
Then, with Dest playing ahead of him as a winger/wingback, Freeman took advantage of the space he was given. Moving around the field with some level of freedom, the 21-year-old son of former NFL wide receiver Antonio Freeman got onto the ball, weaved through two Uruguay defenders and, with a third approaching, slotted in his second goal to give the U.S. a stunning three-goal advantage over one of the supposed best teams in South America.
The performance will give Pochettino plenty to think about, especially as he has looked for the right starter to put next to Tim Ream and Chris Richards on the back line. While Joe Scally was decent against Paraguay, Freeman’s production in that spot would give the U.S. a much more aggressive look.
And no doubt it’ll put Freeman on the radar of some European teams in the upcoming January transfer window.
Sebastian Berhalter and Sergiño Dest hug it out during the USA’s rout Tuesday night (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP / Getty Images)
Seb Berhalter makes a statement, too
Berhalter played his way into the USMNT picture this spring, and into World Cup roster contention this summer. After he struggled in a September loss to South Korea, then didn’t play against Japan, then missed out on the October roster, however, he appeared to be sliding in the wrong direction.
Then, on Tuesday, he made a statement.
He made a statement, specifically, about set pieces and his ability to take them. He scored the goal, then served up a gorgeous corner for the second goal. In case there was any doubt after the Gold Cup, Berhalter is the best set-piece taker in the pool, and that alone could get him in the 26-man squad next summer. The U.S. has struggled on attacking set pieces over the past five years, and a big reason for the struggles has been Christian Pulisic’s mediocre delivery. Berhalter is a potential antidote.
🎯😱 SEBASTIAN BERHALTER 😱🎯 pic.twitter.com/pu0ml3iqmp
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 19, 2025
Alex Freeman had never scored for the USMNT.
He scored two in the first half against Uruguay 💥 pic.twitter.com/0g2LIcvs5i
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 19, 2025
He is also more than a dead-ball specialist. His counter-pressing all the way up in Uruguay’s box created a chance for Aidan Morris midway through the half. His intensity and likability are intangibles that help the group. He is not at an international level technically and tactically, but he could absolutely be useful off the bench in a tight World Cup game. That’s what he showed on Tuesday.
Uruguay’s mystique takes a blow
Opponents know what to expect when they face Uruguay. And what we saw on Tuesday night is the antithesis of the gritty garra charrúa culture that has made the small South American nation a power at the international level. Marcelo Bielsa’s men were outworked by a rotated U.S. side. The Uruguayans were nonchalant on the ball and lazy on defense. There was no high press, a staple of a well-drilled Bielsa team.
To put it mildly, Uruguay was an embarrassment. The fight that has long characterized their best teams didn’t get off the bus at Raymond James Stadium. Bielsa looked perplexed as he sat on an orange cooler near the touchline. The Americans, many with MLS résumés, ran rampant on a Uruguayan midfield and backline that boasted players whose employers include Barcelona, Manchester United and Tottenham. But there are glaring weaknesses that Bielsa must correct before next summer. Bentancur was sent off midway through the second half after a vicious red-card tackle on Berhalter.
The goalkeeping was abysmal, too. Uruguay has still not replaced Fernando Muslera, who stood in goal with a presence for more than 130 caps. Cristopher Fiermarin? Never heard of him right? He logged his second cap on Tuesday night. This is a position of concern for Bielsa. Now, Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde, the Uruguay captain, was not available through injury. Center forward Darwin Nuñez was also out with an injury. But there should be no excuses when the final score is 5-1.
Make no mistake about it: Bielsa is under fire. The Uruguayan Football Federation will be under pressure to consider making a change before the World Cup. Perhaps the cracks in the foundation began at the 2024 Copa América.
Said former international and Uruguay legend Luis Suarez in October of last year: “There were situations that occurred at the Copa America that hurt to see, that I didn’t talk about for the good of the group,” Suarez said. “It’s going to continue to happen. The players are going to reach a limit and explode.”
On Tuesday in Tampa, Uruguay imploded.