Second Friendly Could End With a Second Defeat in September
The United States faces another formidable challenge when they host Japan on Tuesday at Lower.com Field in Columbus, seeking to bounce back from their disappointing defeat to South Korea.
Japan arrives as the 17th-ranked team in FIFA's world rankings and was the first nation outside the host countries to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The Samurai Blue bring impressive recent form, having won 14 of their last 17 competitive fixtures since their Asian Cup exit in February 2024. Their defensive solidity has been particularly noteworthy, recording five clean sheets in their previous six matches while conceding just two goals across eight games this year.
Under coach Hajime Moriyasu, Japan has developed into a well-organized unit that excels in transition play. They demonstrated their quality against Mexico on Saturday, creating numerous chances despite settling for a scoreless draw. The Japanese have maintained an unbeaten streak of 13 consecutive games when scoring first and have trailed in only two matches since March 2024.
This marks just the fourth meeting between these nations, with Japan holding a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series. Their most recent encounter in September 2022 ended in a convincing 2-0 Japanese victory, a performance that team members later described as representing their ideal World Cup football. Both teams advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Mauricio Pochettino faces mounting criticism following the United States men's national team's 2-0 defeat to South Korea, with questions intensifying about his approach and philosophy just months before the 2026 World Cup.
Since taking charge, Pochettino lacks a signature victory and has overseen losses to quality opponents including Mexico, Turkey, Panama, Canada, and Switzerland. The USMNT has now lost all six matches against top-35 Elo-rated teams under his leadership, with their current rating marking the worst American side of the 21st century. Under his guidance, the USMNT has regressed significantly, with their current Elo rating representing the lowest point since 1997.
Critics argue that Pochettino's continued experimentation with fringe players like debutant Tristan Blackmon comes too late in the cycle, disrupting team chemistry when cohesion should be the priority. The coach's vision of a team that would "dominate games" and be "very strong defensively" while remaining "very exciting going forward" has yet to materialize.
With every poor performance, pressure mounts on Pochettino to prove his methods will translate to World Cup success, as the dream of a transformative home tournament risks becoming a nightmare.
A Struggling US Side Lacked That Killer Instinct in Loss to South Korea
The United States men's national team suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat to South Korea on Saturday at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, continuing a troubling pattern of poor performances with the 2026 World Cup approaching.
Son Heung-min opened the scoring in the 18th minute, capitalizing on defensive miscommunication to find space between center-backs Tim Ream and debutant Tristan Blackmon. South Korea doubled their advantage just before halftime when Lee Dong-gyeong finished after Son was played through on goal, with goalkeeper Matt Freese caught out of position.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino expressed disappointment but maintained focus on World Cup preparation, stating "We need to start to win when the World Cup starts." The Argentine coach emphasized that teams often struggle at major tournaments despite strong pre-competition form, citing his experience with Argentina's 2002 World Cup exit.
The match featured an MLS-heavy roster as Pochettino continued experimenting with his player pool. However, the performance raised questions about the timing of such experimentation with less than 10 months remaining before the World Cup. The predominantly pro-Korea crowd of thousands created an atmosphere reminiscent of playing away from home, adding another challenge for the Americans as they search for form and identity.
On This Day in 2021, Four Second-Half Goals Saved the Americans Early in World Cup Qualifying
The golden confetti from Las Vegas felt like a lifetime ago as the United States national team stumbled through the opening week of World Cup qualifying, their Nations League and Gold Cup triumphs suddenly seeming less like a streak of greatness and more like an elaborate mirage. What had felt inevitable in the controlled environment of summer tournaments was proving treacherous in the unforgiving landscape of CONCACAF qualifying, where rankings dissolve and reputations crumble under the weight of hostile crowds and unrelenting pressure.
The opening salvos of the new Octagonal had left Gregg Berhalter's young team reeling. A scoreless draw in El Salvador, despite the Americans' overwhelming talent advantage on paper, served as the first reminder that World Cup qualifying operates by different rules. The heat, the altitude, the psychological warfare—all the elements that make CONCACAF road qualifying a unique test in world soccer—had neutralized the creativity of players who dominated club opponents across Europe's top leagues.
Back home in Nashville against Canada, the Americans had squandered a lead through Brenden Aaronson's composed finish, allowing Cyle Larin to punish defensive lapses that would have been inconsequential in friendlies but proved costly when points carried World Cup implications. The 1-1 draw felt worse than a defeat, particularly with the overwhelming home support that had expected dominance.
But the week's most damaging blow came off the field. Weston McKennie, one of the team's most important players and a central figure in the summer's success, had violated team COVID protocols and been dismissed from camp. The Juventus midfielder's banishment stripped away not just talent but leadership at precisely the moment when both were most desperately needed.
"When you're talking about team policy and team rules and what we're trying to accomplish, the team absolutely comes first," Berhalter explained. However, the decision left his squad significantly weakened for the trip to Honduras. The ambitious talk of nine points from three games had devolved into anxiety about securing even four. Christian Pulisic was nursing an ankle injury that threatened his availability. Goalkeeper Zack Steffen had tested positive for COVID and wouldn't make the trip. Gio Reyna's hamstring injury had already sent him back to Germany.
The Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, surrounded by chain-link fencing and filled with a capacity crowd determined to make life miserable for the visiting Americans, was the venue for this September 8 qualifier. Berhalter's lineup reflected both necessity and experimentation. Ricardo Pepi, the 18-year-old FC Dallas striker, would make his international debut in a World Cup qualifier—a decision that seemed either inspired or desperate depending on the outcome. The formation appeared to be a 3-4-3, with Tyler Adams deployed wider than usual and several players making their qualifying debuts.
The first half unfolded exactly as CONCACAF skeptics would have predicted. Honduras flew into challenges with the desperation of a team fighting for its World Cup dreams, while the Americans looked disconnected from both the match and each other. The breakthrough came in the 27th minute when Brayan Moya redirected a cross past Matt Turner, capitalizing on a defensive breakdown that saw left-back George Bello leave his mark completely unmarked.
By halftime, the Americans found themselves trailing 1-0 and facing the prospect of a catastrophic start to qualifying. In the cramped visitors' dressing room, Berhalter made the kind of decisive adjustments that define coaching careers. Three substitutions and a formation change transformed not just the tactical shape but the entire energy of the American performance. Antonee Robinson, Sebastian Lletget, and Brenden Aaronson entered the field for John Brooks, George Bello, and Josh Sargent. At the same time, the formation shifted to a more conventional 4-3-3, restoring familiar patterns of play.
The impact was immediate and dramatic. Just three minutes into the second half, Robinson volleyed home an equalizer from seven yards after a cross from Lletget was redirected by Pepi. The goal represented more than just a leveling of the score; it announced that this American team possessed the resilience to respond to adversity. The momentum continued to build as the Americans found their rhythm in the hostile environment. Pepi began to justify Berhalter's faith in his selection. His movement troubled the Honduran defense, his hold-up play provided the foundation for American attacks, and his composure belied his inexperience on this stage.
The go-ahead goal arrived in the 75th minute when DeAndre Yedlin, another halftime substitute, delivered a cross that found Pepi perfectly positioned to power a header past the Honduran goalkeeper. For the teenager, the goal represented the culmination of a remarkable journey from unknown teenager to World Cup qualifier hero. Just months earlier, Pepi had been weighing whether to represent Mexico or the United States internationally. His debut goal, scored in one of CONCACAF's most intimidating venues, provided a definitive answer to that question.
The teenager wasn't finished. In the 86th minute, Pepi turned provider, setting up Aaronson for the insurance goal that effectively sealed the victory. The sequence began with Pepi's intelligent movement and precise pass, demonstrating the kind of complete forward play that had made him such an intriguing prospect. "I was so fired up today, I don't know what kind of took over me, but I was just ready to go," Aaronson said, describing the energy that had infected the entire team once the momentum shifted.
Lletget added the exclamation point in the third minute of stoppage time, pouncing on the rebound after Pepi's shot was saved to complete a remarkable transformation. The 4-1 final score represented not just victory but vindication of Berhalter's halftime gamble and the team's capacity for dramatic improvement. As the Americans celebrated in the steamy night air of San Pedro Sula, the broader implications of the victory began to crystallize.
"It's a massive experience that we needed, just to show that with all the adversity we've gone through, we're ready to come back from it," Robinson reflected. "Obviously, there's been disappointing times on this trip. But in the end, we've ended it on a real high, and now we can attack October with everything we've got."
The victory moved the United States into a tie for second place in the Octagonal standings with five points from three games, trailing only Mexico's seven points. More importantly, it provided the psychological foundation for the long qualifying campaign ahead. The Americans had experienced CONCACAF at its most challenging and emerged stronger from the ordeal. The road to Qatar remained long and fraught with the familiar perils of CONCACAF qualifying. The desert mirage had given way to genuine substance, forged in the unforgiving reality of CONCACAF competition.
