Pochettino's USMNT Struggles Continue as South Korea Delivers Crushing 2-0 Blow - Player Ratings Inside
The United States men's national soccer team suffered a 2–0 defeat to South Korea in their opening September international window friendly match in Harrison, New Jersey.
This marked their sixth defeat in eight matches against top-25 ranked opponents following the 2022 FIFA World Cup. For head coach Mauricio Pochettino, his overall record now stands at 10-0-7 across all competitions.
The Argentine manager surprised some observers by selecting Tristan Blackmon in the starting eleven ahead of Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards. Sergiño Dest also made his return to the starting lineup after being absent from the Gold Cup during the summer while recovering to full fitness. However, much attention focused on Christian Pulisic following the controversy surrounding his decision to miss the Concacaf competition.
The USMNT began the match controlling possession effectively but struggled to create breakthrough opportunities at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Approaching the midpoint of the opening half, LAFC star Son Heung-min found the net to disappoint his former manager watching from the opposite touchline. Lee Dong-gyeong extended South Korea's advantage just before the halftime whistle, further dampening the atmosphere.
During the second period, South Korea maintained their composure while building attacks from deep positions. The USMNT attempted to implement high pressing tactics to force turnovers and apply pressure on their opponents. Pochettino introduced four substitutions in the 62nd minute, bringing on Folarin Balogun, Alex Freeman, Cristian Roldan and Richards. This tactical shift included a formation adjustment that saw Freeman and Max Arfsten pushed into more advanced positions with three center-backs providing cover.
Richards came close to pulling one back for the Stars and Stripes in the 73rd minute from a dead ball situation. A curling delivery from Sebastian Berhalter deflected off Richards's knee, but goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo reacted swiftly to make the save. The USMNT applied more pressure and appeared more settled with the three-defender system, though it failed to improve their attacking effectiveness in dangerous areas. Balogun nearly scored during added time with their clearest opportunity of the match, but Jo produced an outstanding double save to thwart the Monaco forward.
The final whistle confirmed a 2–0 result at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
The team's next fixture is another international friendly against Japan in Columbus, Ohio before players rejoin their club teams. Although no competitive matches remain before the 2026 World Cup, Pochettino requires an improved showing to salvage this September international period.
USMNT individual player assessments from the match are listed below.
USMNT Player Ratings vs. South Korea (4-2-3-1)
*Ratings provided by Fotmob
Player | Rating (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Matt Freese | 6.0 |
RB: Sergiño Dest | 6.1 |
CB: Tristan Blackmon | 6.7 |
CB: Tim Ream | 6.2 |
LB: Max Arfsten | 6.6 |
DM: Tyler Adams | 5.5 |
DM: Sebastian Berhalter | 6.5 |
AM: Diego Luna | 6.6 |
RW: Christian Pulisic | 6.8 |
ST: Josh Sargent | 6.4 |
LW: Tim Weah | 5.8 |
SUB: Alex Freeman (62' for Dest) | 6.5 |
SUB: Chris Richards (62' for Adams) | 6.3 |
SUB: Cristian Roldan (62' for Weah) | 6.4 |
SUB: Folarin Balogun (62' for Sargent) | 7.0 |
SUB: Alex Zendejas (71' for Luna) | 6.8 |
SUB: Jack McGlynn (78' for Berhalter) | 6.2 |
Subs not used: Jonathan Klinsmann (GK), Roman Celentano (GK), Nathan Harriel, Luca de la Torre, Damion Downs
USMNT Player of the Match: Folarin Balogun
Overall Player of the Match: Jo Hyeon-woo
South Korea (5-4-1): Joe Hyeon-woo; Seol Young-woo, Lee Han-beom, Kim Min-jae, Kim Ju-sung, Lee Tae-seok; Lee Dong-gyeong, Kim Jin-gyu, Paik Seung-ho, Lee Jae-sung; Son Heung-min
Subs: Song Bum-keun (GK), Kim Seung-gyu (GK), Park Jin-seob, Byeon Jun-soo, Kim Moon-hwan, Lee Myung-jae, Seo Min-woo, Park Yong-woo, Oh Heun-gyu, Bae Joon-ho, Jens Castrop, Oh Se-hun, Lee Kang-in, Kim Tae-hyeon, Jeong Sang-bin