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RECAP: Outnumbered, USMNT Lose to South Korea, 2-0
On Saturday, Heung-min Son was the star of the show at Sports Illustrated Stadium as the United States men’s national team lost, 2-0, to South Korea (Korea Republic).
A lot is riding on these friendlies.
Despite already being qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup ten months from now, the USMNT needs to use these games as tune-ups.
Against the 23rd-ranked South Korea, the USA looked completely outplayed.
A chance to give fans of the Stars and Stripes confidence has turned into apathy.
Defensive Woes
The “home side” was tested in the first half, and a goal came from an expected place.
Son Heung-min, the recent Los Angeles FC signing, worked as Korea’s top striker.
The new role paid off for him, as he sent the ball flying into the goal in the 18th minute for the opening score.
“I thought we started the game in a very positive way, but we conceded in a way we should not concede,” Pochettino said.
“We worked this week not to give a player like Son the possibility to run. We were so passive in providing the space to score.”
In all, the defense looked as though it wasn’t communicating. Centerbacks Tim Ream and Tristan Blackmon, making his debut, looked as though one move could get the ball past them from either Son or other attackers.
Another breakdown led to South Korea’s second goal in the 43rd minute. Amid a U.S. defensive breakdown, goalkeeper Matt Freese was able to get in front of Son. Before falling, the forward got the ball to Lee Dong-gyeong, who hit a back-heel finish to double Korea’s lead.
Second Half Control
USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino opted to keep the same lineup to kick off the second half. But he made a quadruple sub in the 61st minute, bringing on Alex Freeman for Sergiño Dest, Chris Richards for Tim Weah, Folarin Balogun for Josh Sargent, and Cristian Roldan for Tyler Adams.
There was also a shift in formation, from a back four to a back five, with Freeman and Max Arfsten pushing forward on either touchline. And that seemed to work in garnering more control for the USA. The South Koreans had chances on net but never found the back of the net for the rest of the match.
The United States tried to get some sort of comeback going. Still doesn’t turn into a goal in the 74th. Folarin Balogun had the ball picked off his feet with only the keeper to beat.
Late on, the USA nearly had a stoppage-time consolation goal. Christian Pulisic got the ball into an area where the USMNT had multiple chances to put it in the back of the net. After two shots hit the target but didn’t go in, Folarin Balogun’s third went over the bar.
It was a poor showing from the Americans, as no matter what they did, the ball would not go into the net.
Outnumbered at Home
“It was like a home match,” South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo said through an interpreter after the match. “I appreciate the fans.”
At Sports Illustrated Stadium, seeing a sea of red is usually a good thing when the New York Red Bulls play. But on Saturday, the waves of fans supporting South Korea (Korea Republic) made the USMNT look second-tier. About 75 or 80 percent of the 26,500 people who packed into the space formerly known as Red Bull Arena roared for Korean players
Shouts of “Dae-han-min-guk” and clapping were regular occurrences.
This is a continuing trend where the U.S. Men’s National Team isn’t drawing fans. And that is for a plethora of reasons.
First and foremost, many regular fans are priced out. Whether it’s friendlies or especially against Mexico, the tickets jump in price into the hundreds. To an American family, that isn’t enticing. To a family who either may not see their team often (South Korea) or one that is soccer-focused (in Mexico), they will pay anything.
The other issue is a lack of advertising. Outside of Sports Illustrated Stadium, there was no advertising for this game. None at Yankee Stadium, none on the internet, nothing to tell a common person that the United States was playing close by. In a summer where FIFA Club World Cup ads dominated my podcast feed and traditional media, this was a disappointment for US Soccer.
The sad part is that the United States will not have to worry about this come next year in the FIFA World Cup. But that’s not because US Soccer will do its job better. It’s because everyone knows about the World Cup.
And even then, prices will play a huge role.
“Please come more (to the games),” Pochettino pleaded to fans after the match.
“My message to the fans is that we’re going to arrive at the World Cup in the best condition and we’re going to be difficult to defeat.”
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