USMNT fails another test in 2-0 loss to South Korea | OneFootball

Opportunity knocked for the USMNT on Saturday night when they hosted South Korea at Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey. Unfortunately, Mauricio Pochettino's team failed to answer. Despite having more possession and more than three times as many shots as the Koreans, the U.S. put forth an abysmal effort in a 2-0 loss.

Saturday's game was an opportunity for the USMNT to make positive strides with the 2026 World Cup less than a year away. Some progress was made during the Gold Cup this past summer, as a B-roster reached the finals.

However, a 2-0 loss to South Korea was a frustrating failure, as the USMNT continues to struggle to put last year's disappointing Copa America and March's Nations League failure behind them.

An opponent that matters

Facing a team like South Korea was a good test for the USMNT. The Koreans are a better team than anyone the U.S. faced during the Gold Cup this past summer, with the possible exception of Mexico.

South Korea also represents the caliber of opponent the USMNT will have to beat in order to win its group at the 2026 World Cup or advance in the knockout rounds. Needless to say, a 2-0 loss to the Koreans is discouraging less than a year from the World Cup.

Playing South Korea was also a good test for the U.S. coming off the Gold Cup. Several younger players who excelled during the Gold Cup got a chance against a more challenging opponent.

Likewise, players who weren't with the team over the summer, like wingers Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah, were re-integrated into the team and immediately challenged by a team that has already qualified for next summer's World Cup. The game could be considered a good barometer for the USMNT's progress under Pochettino, in which case, there is a lot more work to be done.

Glaring Problems

A slew of problems were on display for the USMNT against Korea. Even with more possession and more shots, the USMNT couldn't muster a goal or even create many serious scoring chances. Josh Sargent's great early-season form with Norwich City didn't translate to the national team.

Outside of a few bright moments from Pulisic, the U.S. struggled to break down the Korean defense. Even when chances were created, they weren't put away.

On the other end of the field, there were also defensive issues for the U.S. Pochettino gave a first cap to Tristan Blackmon rather than giving Tim Ream and Chris Richards, the presumptive center back tandem for next summer, more playing time together. Goalie Matt Freese also looked shaky.

On South Korea's second goal, he would have given away a penalty if Dong-Gyeong Lee had not back-heeled the ball into the goal. Freese also struggled with his passes when the U.S. tried to play out of the back.

Any silver linings were hard to find. Even Pulisic didn't play his best game. Sergiño Dest's return to the national team after an extended injury was a bright spot, although he didn't make a significant impact on the game.

Even Tyler Adams struggled to get himself into the game. While the USMNT wasn't fully dominated by South Korea, it's hard to pick out any player who had a positive performance.

Time running out

What does the loss to South Korea mean for the USMNT? Since it's a friendly, the result doesn't mean much; the performance is far more important. Of course, the problematic performance in the 2-0 loss is a bad sign, especially with the U.S. starting to run out of time.

There are fewer than 10 games left until Pochettino has to name his roster for the World Cup. The USMNT's performance didn't help to answer any of their pressing questions or build any cohesion or momentum heading into next summer.