Portugal beat United States 2-0 as Christian Pulisic goal drought continues
Portugal defeated the United States 2-0 in a friendly at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Tuesday to conclude the hosts’ March international window.
Francisco Trincao opened the scoring in the first half to put the visitors firmly in control.
Joao Felix then doubled the advantage after the break with a spectacular volley from the edge of the penalty area following a set-piece.
The defeat compounds a miserable week for the Americans, who suffered a heavy 5-2 loss against Belgium on Saturday.
Pulisic struggles in central role
Manager Mauricio Pochettino made six changes to the side that was outclassed by the Belgians in their previous outing.
The tactical shift saw Christian Pulisic deployed in a central role at the apex of the team’s formation.
However, the positional tweak failed to ignite a spark for the struggling 25-year-old.
He was substituted at half-time, marking his eighth consecutive international appearance without finding the back of the net.
World Cup preparations intensify
Pochettino now faces a difficult task to balance his squad before naming his final World Cup selection on 26 May.
Time is rapidly running out for the tournament co-hosts to find their rhythm before the global showpiece begins.
They have two remaining warm-up fixtures scheduled against Senegal on 31 May and Germany on 6 June.
Their Group D campaign will commence on 12 June against Paraguay in Inglewood, California, before crucial tests against Australia and Turkey.
