The U.S. men's national team beat South Korea 2-0 in a friendly match at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey on Saturday.
When LaFC star Heung-Min stuffed the ball into the net, the exhibition started the 18th minute goal with an 18-minute goal. After Lee Dong-Gyeong shot from a short back, he was hampered by the poor performance of his defender due to his poor defense in the backline.
Despite the increased offensive pressure from several substitutions in the second half, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino and his players failed to surpass South Korean goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo as the Americans suffered their first loss to South Korea since 2001.
After friendly, the United States will play against Japan on September 9 at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio to continue its World Cup preparations.
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Manager rating 10
Mauricio Pochettino, 3 – Pochettino, who was out of the World Cup for eight months, proposed his 14th different squad in 17 games, highlighting that he is still testing the game. He also brought out his ninth different centre-back pairing when he was against South Korea. The clock ticked, and for USMNT fans it was obviously frustrating to see the coaches still tinkering at this point. Of course, the attack did improve in the second half, but there were few celebrations about the scoreless results.
Player ratings (0-10; 10 = best, 5 = average)
GK Matt Freese, 5 – He can hardly do the first goal, but if Lee doesn't score after the goalkeeper fouls, Fries will undoubtedly be free throws. Two saves are also provided.
DF Max Arfsten, 4 – It's hard to put him in a big mistake in any goal, but he also failed to make the necessary impact on defense and offense.
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DF Tim Ream, 3 – Thanks to the captain for providing some key interventions, but beyond that, he left his son in South Korea's first goal, failing to close the second goal. The partnership with Blackmon is pretty bland.
DF Tristan Blackmon, 2 – A tough debut, lack of confidence. Blackmon looked constantly behind his son, eventually losing his tracks for South Korea's opener before leaving Lee's goal behind.
DFSergiñoDest, 4 – Return to XI for the first time in 2025, this is a mixed bag. It looks great when he's under his feet, but he has a lot left in defensive position.
MF Tyler Adams, 5 – For midfielders, it's a game up and down, occasionally losing the ball in dangerous positions, but also winning the ball well. Decision making is not his best when trying to turn off the stress.
MF Sebastian Berhalter, 6 – Almost received an assist after firing a dangerous cross from a set of racks in the second half. There is too much room for South Korea's midfield and offense, but it looks good when you get the ball.
MF Diego Luna, 6 – Thanks to the youngest player in XI, he is a creative channel due to his roaming and desire for the ball. A crucial distributor, he couldn't find a way to get over the Korean defender.
FW Christian Pulisic, 6 – Back to the team, he is once again the leader of the offense and the frontline presence. He made several key passes and tried several shots, but the last third didn't work.
Christian Pulisic is one of the few American attackers that have made an impact, but that is not enough to break South Korea's defense. Howard Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images
FW Josh Sargent, 4 years old – Regarding the striker, he has been continuing to score goals in USMNT. Whether it was the lack of distribution to him or the need to work hard to seek a better attack, Sargent's performance was too quiet.
FW Tim Weah, 5 – A few dangerous moments in the future, but there are more expectations for Marseille players, who unfortunately suffered an injury in the second half to force a replacement.
Substitute (players introduced after 70 minutes have no ratings)
FW Folarin Balogun, 6 – Upgrade against Sargent, he scored almost in injury time. Should be in the XI in the next game.
MF Cristian Roldan, 6 years old – He performed well with his duel and distribution in a limited time with the ball in the midfield recovery.
DF Chris Richards, 7 – Almost played a free kick and added much-needed confidence to the defense.
DF Alexander Freeman, 6 – There isn't that much defense work to do, but his right wing run looks positive, too.
FW Alex Zendejas -N/A.
MF Jack McGlynn -N/A.