Pulisic and Balogun Score in U.S. 6-0 Routh of Haiti

Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun returned to the United States roster and both scored as the team defeated Haiti 6-0 on Saturday in Miami. The match served as the first leg of the Nations League quarterfinals and marked the end of Mauricio Pochettino's tenure as head coach for the U.S. national team.

Auston Trusty, Julian Hall, and Weston McKennie also added goals during the decisive victory. This result stood as the highest goal total recorded by the U.S. team under Pochettino's leadership. The win provided a strong start to a short farewell tour for the coach.

The U.S. Soccer Federation announced that Pochettino will depart for Old Trafford next week to assume the head coaching role at Manchester United. This move follows two years of him coaching the Americans. The decision comes only three months after he signed a contract to lead the U.S. squad through the 2030 World Cup.

Pulisic had missed recent exhibition wins against Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Canada while recovering from a microfracture in his right tibia and fibula. He sustained that injury during a 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16 at the World Cup. He converted a penalty kick to extend the lead to 3-0 in the 62nd minute and added another goal from outside the box shortly after an assist from Alex Freeman.

Balogun scored in the 82nd minute to make the final score 6-0. The striker had been omitted from previous friendlies after a potential transfer to Everton fell through and he did not play in Monaco's first four Ligue 1 matches this season. His earlier red card suspension at the World Cup was lifted after a phone call from President Donald Trump to FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

The second leg of the quarterfinal matchup is scheduled for Monday in Cincinnati. Fans in Miami largely supported the Haitian team, a crowd shaped by the fact that violence in Haiti has prevented Les Grenadiers from playing on home soil. The area hosts the largest Haitian diaspora community in the United States, leading to a loud atmosphere for the visitors.

Haiti's Lenny Joseph appeared to score in the 70th minute after finishing a cross from Josue Casimir, but officials ruled him offside. The game ended with the U.S. holding a commanding lead heading into the return leg.