The U.S. men’s national team kicked off its September friendlies with a match against South Korea on Saturday, and things quickly did not go as planned.
The USMNT fell 2-0 to South Korea after a goal and an assist in the first half from star forward Son Heung-min, in front of a stunningly pro-South Korea crowd in Harrison, New Jersey. Though a slew of second-half subs revitalized the U.S. attack, the team could not overcome the deficit.
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Son opened the scoring early for South Korea, sending the ball flying into the goal in the 18th minute.
Then, in the 43rd minute, Son struck again amid a U.S. defensive breakdown. As USMNT goalkeeper Matt Freese tripped Son up, the forward got the ball to Lee Dong-gyeong, who hit a back-heel finish to double Korea’s lead.
USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino opted to keep the same starting 11 in after halftime, but later mass substituted the team in an attempt to spark some attacking power. But it wasn’t enough to turn the tide, and the USMNT settled for yet another disappointing loss, the squad’s fifth straight against a FIFA top 25-ranked team.
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Team-wise, there was a lot riding on these friendlies: The USMNT is now 10 months out from the 2026 World Cup, and needed to use these games as a tune-up before tournament prep begins in earnest. And it wouldn’t hurt to give U.S. fans a little bit of a confidence boost in the meantime.
But instead, South Korea came out on top, showing off the team’s organized structure in a stark contrast to a U.S. team that still appears to have no chemistry. South Korea already qualified for the tournament, making this game a more competitive friendly than usual, but the USMNT did not rise to the challenge.
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It’ll be interesting to see how Pochettino will respond for the second September friendly, which takes place against Japan on Tuesday. He may opt to start some of those second-half subs whose impact felt so immediate, or he may choose to try something completely new. But as the team continues to struggle to jell and rise to expectations, each of these games will feel more and more consequential moving forward.
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