Five Things to Know: USMNT vs. Korea Republic

The U.S. Men’s National Team is back in action for September international friendlies.

First, the USMNT takes on Korea Republic in Harrison, New Jersey on Sept. 6. Then the U.S. will face Japan on Sept. 9.

 With the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching, the USMNT gets a look at two nations that will be back in North America next summer for the tournament.

 It’ll mark the first time the USMNT has matched up with Korea since 2014. The U.S. will have the chance to even up the all-time record which currently sits at 2W-3L-2D.

Here’s everything you need to know before the USA faces the Asia Power:

1. Continuing Gold Cup Momentum 

After the USMNT’s Concacaf Gold Cup Final run, veteran defender Tim Ream said the squad developed a better understanding of the expectations from head coach Mauricio Pochettino. That understanding only continues to build moving forward.

“The guys who were here during the Gold Cup, we know what the standard needs to be, and what it is going forward,” Ream said. “Just making sure everybody’s being held accountable, pushing each other, making sure we’re on the same page — we’re on the same team. We’re trying to move things forward and make sure we’re in a good position moving into the next year and into the World Cup.”

Including September, the USMNT has three international windows this year to grow further under Pochettino, who was hired in September 2024. Ream said that while these matches are friendlies, with the World Cup looming, every opportunity together as a National Team is imperative to building chemistry.

2. Back in Stars and Stripes 

Defender Sergiño Dest and forward Folarin Balogun could earn their first cap of 2025 in the September matches after battling injury.

Dest tore his ACL in April 2024 and hasn’t played with the USMNT since the Americans won the 2024 Concacaf Nations League. The right back was on the initial roster for the summer but instead opted for a training program to further work back from injury. Since then, Dest has had a strong start on the club side with PSV, with two goals and an assist through five matches.

Balogun has dealt with a couple of injuries. First, a dislocated shoulder, which kept him out at the end of 2024. Then he sustained an ankle injury that forced him to miss the summer Gold Cup run. If either of them makes an appearance in the two friendlies, it’ll be the first cap under Pochettino

3. A USMNT Legend Honored 

Before the USA and Korea kick off, USMNT legend Michael Bradley will be honored in a pre-game ceremony. Bradley is the third-most capped USMNT player with 151 international appearances, including 48 matches captained, from 2006 to 2019.

Ream wore the captain's band eight times in 2025. The 37-year-old defender played with Bradley for several years, from Ream’s first days with the USMNT to his first time captaining.

“I don't know that I've ever really given him credit, but I'm sitting here today because of some of the things and some of the conversations that he and I have had over many camps and over many years,” Ream said. “A lot of great memories, lot of great camps. And just watching him, and knowing how professional he was, and the leadership that he showed from all the time that we were together is something that I always left camp in awe of, really. I tried to use that when I would leave and still trying to use those examples."

4. A World Cup-Qualified Test 

The USMNT faces two top AFC opponents, both of which have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup. The first, Korea, punched its ticket in June to the tournament co-hosted by the United States.

It will be the 12th appearance for the Asian nation led by forward Son Heung-min, one of the most popular Asian players in football history who this summer signed with LAFC in Major League Soccer. Saturday’s match between the USMNT and Korea Republic will be a reunion of sorts. USMNT head coach Pochettino coached Son from 2015-19 back in their days at Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League.

5. Familiar Faces in Familiar Places 

The match at Sports Illustrated Stadium, home of the New York Red Bulls, marks a homecoming for several USMNT players on the roster.

Midfielder Tyler Adams grew up in Wappingers Falls, New York and came up through the Red Bulls Academy. Forward Tim Weah, also a New York native, spent a year with the academy before departing for France and PSG’s youth program.

Ream was drafted by the Red Bulls in 2010 in the second round of the MLS SuperDraft. He played two seasons with New York before leaving for the UK. The center back returned to MLS in 2024 after more than a decade overseas. He now suits up for Eastern Conference club Charlotte FC where he’s played the last two seasons.