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Portugal handed the United States a 2-0 defeat on Tuesday in a pre-World Cup friendly, leaving the hosts struggling for form ahead of this summer’s tournament.
Bruno Fernandes starred for Portugal, providing two assists, a clever backheel for Francisco Trincao and a precise corner to Joao Felix, to secure the victory at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The result follows the US’s 5-2 loss to Belgium over the weekend, marking consecutive disappointing performances for the co-hosts as they prepare to face Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey in Group F.
Christian Pulisic, deployed as a false nine by coach Mauricio Pochettino, failed to convert multiple chances in the first half and was substituted at halftime.
Despite the struggles, Pulisic said the team would take “positives” from the two warm-up games.
Portugal controlled much of the match, with Fernandes linking effectively with Vitinha and exploiting defensive gaps.
US goalkeeper Matt Freese made several key saves, keeping the scoreline from widening further.
The match served as Portugal’s final tune-up before the World Cup, with the European side looking to build momentum ahead of their campaign.
