Soccer ForwardSoccer ForwardOpen CupOpen Cup
Volkswagen
Nike
Become An InsiderOfficial Store
Login
U.S. Soccer
  • National Teams
    USWNT
    USMNT
    Youth
    Extended
    USWNT HomeCurrent RosterUSWNT LINEUPS
    ScheduleStoriesUSWNT STATS
    USMNT HomeCurrent RosterUSMNT LineupsUnique USMNT Player number
    Schedule & TicketsStoriesUSMNT StatsUSMNT on tv
    Women
    Under-14 NDPU-15 GNTU-16 GNTU-17 WNTU-18 WNTU-19 WNTU-20 WNTU-23 WNT
    Men
    Under-14 NDPU-15 BNTU-16 BNTU-17 MNTU-18 MNTU-19 MNTU-20 MNTU-23 MNT
    Women
    U.S. WOMEN’S BEACH SOCCER NATIONAL TEAMU.S. WOMEN’S FUTSAL NATIONAL TEAMU.S. WOMEN’S CP NATIONAL TEAMU.S. WOMEN’S DEAF NATIONAL TEAM
    Men
    U.S. MEN'S BEACH SOCCER NATIONAL TEAMU.S. MEN’S FUTSAL NATIONAL TEAMU.S. MEN’S CP NATIONAL TEAMU.S. MEN’S DEAF NATIONAL TEAM
    Co-Ed
    Power Soccer National Team
  • Schedule & Tickets
    Schedule & Tickets
    Ticketmaster logo
    GROUP ORDERS FAQ
    TICKET FAN AND EVENT FAQ
    MOBILE TICKETING
  • Participate
    Home
    Coaching
    Refereeing
    Safeguarding Hub
    Health and Wellness
    Additional Resources
    Talent IdentificationFederation ServicesOrganization MembersGovernanceU.S. Soccer Alumni Club
  • Initiatives
    Soccer Forward
    Development Fund
    STRATEGIC VISION
    National Training Center
    SHEBELIEVES
    ONE NATION.
    ADAPTandTHRIVE
    Referee Abuse Prevention
Become An InsiderOfficial Store
U.S. Soccer
User profile icon
  • Soccer ForwardSoccer Forward
    Open CupOpen Cup
    Nike
    Volkswagen
Loading...

Go Deeper

MNT

Related Stories

On the Pitch
September 29, 2025

USMNT Rewind: Christian Pulisic Leads Serie A in Goal Contributions, Alex Zendejas Bags Brace


On the Pitch
September 26, 2025

How Many USMNT Players Competed in Both FIFA U-20 World Cup and Senior World Cups?


On the Pitch
September 25, 2025

USMNT Looks for More Mile High Magic Ahead of World Cup

Go Deeper

MNT

Related Stories

On the Pitch
September 29, 2025

USMNT Rewind: Christian Pulisic Leads Serie A in Goal Contributions, Alex Zendejas Bags Brace


On the Pitch
September 26, 2025

How Many USMNT Players Competed in Both FIFA U-20 World Cup and Senior World Cups?


On the Pitch
September 25, 2025

USMNT Looks for More Mile High Magic Ahead of World Cup

Latest Stories

US Soccer Podcast
October 1, 2025

U.S. Soccer Podcast: U.S. Soccer at the United Nations, Lex Chalat Talks Soccer Forward

Federation News
October 1, 2025

Growing the Game: Soccer Forward Foundation Scales Up as U.S. Soccer’s FIFA World Cup ‘26 Legacy Initiative


On the Pitch
September 30, 2025

USWNT’s Emma Hayes Inducted into National Football Museum Hall of Fame


On the Pitch
September 30, 2025

Preview: USA Continues FIFA U-20 World Cup Campaign Thursday against France


Open Cup
September 30, 2025

How to Watch: Nashville SC vs. Austin FC in U.S. Open Cup Final


On the Pitch
September 30, 2025

Katie Schoepfer Names U.S Roster for 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup

Latest Videos

image
About U.S. Soccer
History
Governance
Sponsors & Partners
Careers
Media Services
How to report a concern
Fan code of conduct
Fan ticket and event faq
Contact us
Organization members
Federation Services
Brand Protection
Connect with us

Get unrivaled matchday access

App StoreGoogle Play Store
Join the team
Join the team
Join the team
Sign Up For Free
already an insider?Login
COPYRIGHT U.S. SOCCER 2025
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
PRIVACY POLICY
CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS
TERMS OF USE
ACCESSIBILITY
On the Pitch

U.S. Men’s National Team Opens September Window with Loss to Korea Republic

Heroics from Goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo Kept U.S. Off the Scoresheet; Sergiño Dest Made First Appearance Since March 2024 Following Injury; USMNT Next Faces Japan on Sept. 9 in Columbus
September 7, 2025
Tim Ream, Son Heung-min, Tyler Adams
Tim Ream, Son Heung-min
Loading...

HARRISON, N.J. (Sept. 6, 2025) – The United States Men’s National Team opened the program’s two-match September slate with a 2-0 loss to World Cup-bound Korea Republic in front of a sold-out crowd of 26,500 at Sports Illustrated Stadium, home of the New York Red Bulls. The U.S outshot the Koreans by a 17-5 margin, with only the stellar play of goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo preventing the U.S. from getting on the scoresheet.

The action now moves to Ohio for USA-Japan, presented by Allstate, which comes nearly 25 years after the USMNT’s first visit to Columbus, Ohio and what has become a special place in U.S. Soccer history. Lower.com Field and the USMNT welcome the 15th-ranked Japanese side on Sept. 9, with the match kicking off at 7:30 p.m. ET and available on TNT, HBO Max, Universo, and Peacock.

Both matches will be carried live on radio as Westwood One Sports delivers English language commentary from on-site for the first time while longtime partner Fútbol de Primera has the Spanish language call.

The starting XI for the USMNT featured six players part of the runner-up finish in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup – goalkeeper Matt Freese, midfielders Tyler Adams, Diego Luna, Sebastian Berhalter, center back Tim Ream and fullback Max Arfsten.

Sergiño Dest earned the start at right back to signal his long-awaited return. Saturday marked the defender’s first USMNT appearance since suffering a ruptured ACL. His previous cap was approximately 18 months ago when he helped the U.S. claim the Concacaf Nations League title in March 2024.

Partnering with Ream in the central defense was Vancouver Whitecaps defender Tristan Blackmon making his USMNT debut.

Forward Christian Pulisic, earning his 79th cap, striker Josh Sargent and forward Tim Weah rounded out head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s starting XI.

The United States faced a Korea Republic squad that earlier this year qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Featuring on Korea’s roster was Son Heung-min, the newly minted LAFC star.

It didn’t take long for the action to heat up, and in the third minute Korea Republic appeared to create the first chance of the match. Following a takeaway, Lee Jae-sung was fouled. As he was falling to the turf, Lee’s fortuitous touch traveled ahead to Son for a chance on goal. Freese reacted well in the early high-pressure moment, but the official pulled back the play for a Korea free kick.

Some heavy pressure from Pulisic and Sargent created the first shot of the match for the United States. With Korea passing the ball around deep in the USA’s attacking third, Pulisic encouraged his teammates to apply pressure. In a desperate attempt to clear, Korea sent the ball straight up the middle where Berhalter was waiting. The midfielder controlled the ball, then booted a right-footed attempt on frame that Korean goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo knocked away for the save.

After Freese came up with a save for the U.S. in the 16th minute, Korea found the back of the net two minutes later. Lee located Son making a run in behind the United States defense. Son collected the ball and with his dribble raced toward goal. The LAFC star found enough of an angle between Blackmon’s slide and Freese near post to convert the opening goal of the match.

Following a long clearance from Ream and a takeaway from Luna, the U.S. created a good look in the attack. Some short, quick passes resulted in the ball at Pulisic’s feet near the top of the box. He threaded the ball through a tight area to Weah, who shot with the outside of his right foot from close range. The Korean goalkeeper dove to make the stop, and the play was called offside.

Weah grew close again in the 41st minute. Dest pushed a ball through traffic from the end line. Weah controlled the pass inside the box and played it off Pulisic in a congested area. Weah made clean contact for a shot that curled wide of the frame.

Moments later, Korea doubled its lead. The play centered around Son, who contributed to the buildup and assisted the goal. Receiving the ball at the top of the box, Son turned, then got the ball back after a quick give-and-go. With Freese coming off his line to challenge the chance of a shot from Son, the Korean star tapped the ball to Lee Dong-gyeong for the finish.

Pochettino made a four-man change in the 62nd minute. Chris Richards, Alex Freeman, Cristian Roldan and Folarin Balogun replaced Weah, Dest, Adams and Sargent. With three center backs on the pitch, the United States moved to a backline of three featuring Ream, Richards and Blackmon, which allowed Freeman and Arfsten to push higher up the field on the wings.

In the 71st minute, Alex Zendejas replaced Luna.

With fresh legs, the United States came to life in the final 25 minutes and increased the urgency trailing two goals. The U.S. was inches away from pulling one goal back following a direct free kick in the 74th minute. Berhalter delivered the kick from about 30 yards out with his right foot, looking for his counterpart on two goals during the Gold Cup, Richards. The center back made the run and appeared to get a thigh on Berhalter’s service, and directed a touch toward goal. Jo blocked the chance for one of his five saves on the night to keep the Americans off the scoresheet.

The United States earned another direct free kick moments later. The kick was a little closer than the previous attempt, about 25 yards away from goal. Pulisic took the kick, swerving a right-footed shot around and over Korea’s wall, but the strike sailed high.

Korea Republic nearly added a third goal on a driven header, but Freese launched himself to make a huge stop in the 90th minute.

Balogun, seeing his first minutes for the USMNT in 2025 after battling some injuries, saw a golden opportunity in stoppage time. After a nice sequence of passes from the USMNT in and around the box, Zendejas played the ball to Pulisic. The forward crossed the ball to Balogun on the far post. The striker slammed an attractive volley on frame. Jo made the save, then responded to block Balogun’s close-range attempt on the rebound and keep the shutout for Korea.

In a ceremony prior to kickoff, U.S. Soccer recognized one of New Jersey’s own, legendary USMNT midfielder and former team captain Michael Bradley. The third most capped player in USMNT history, Bradley is a native of Princeton, New Jersey and now serves as head coach of New York Red Bulls II.

Goal Scoring Rundown:

KOR – SON HEUNG-MIN(LEE JAE-SUNG), 18th Minute: Lee found Son with a through ball on the left side of the pitch. Son took a few dribbles then struck the ball from a difficult angle on the edge of the six-yard box with his left foot into the far side netting. KOR 1, USA 0

KOR – LEE DONG-GYEONG (SON HEUNG-MIN), 43rd Minute: After a swift sequence put the ball on his feet near the edge of the six-yard box, Son tapped a first-time pass with the outside of his foot to Lee. The midfielder’s quick touch rolled the ball into the back of the net to extend Korea’s lead. KOR 2, USA 0 FINAL

Additional Notes:

  • Tristan Blackmon made his USMNT debut.
  • Max Arfsten and Sebastian Berhalter made starts for the fourth consecutive match.
  • Christian Pulisic, the most capped player on this roster, tied Chris Henderson for 31st on the USMNT’s all-time caps list (79).
  • During the pregame broadcast on TNT, U.S. Soccer announced details for two matches during the November FIFA window. The U.S. Men’s National Team will face off against two South American countries in the lead-up to next summer’s World Cup: The USA will first host Paraguay, presented by Allstate, on Nov. 15 at Subaru Park in Chester, Pa. Three days later, USA-Uruguay, presented by New York Life, will be the USMNT’s return to Tampa for the first time since 2018. Click here for more details

- U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT -

Match: United States Men’s National Team vs. Korea Republic
Date: September 6, 2025
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Sports Illustrated Park; Harrison, New Jersey
Attendance: 26,500
Kickoff: 5:00 p.m. ET
Weather: 72 degrees

Scoring Summary 1 2 F
USA 0 0 0
KOR 2 0 2
KOR – Son Heung-min (Lee Jae-sung) 18th minute
KOR – Lee Dong-gyeong (Son Heung-min) 43

Lineups:
USA: 1-Matt Freese; 2-Sergiño Dest (16-Alex Freeman, 62), 15-Tristan Blackmon, 13-Tim Ream (Capt.), 18-Max Arfsten; 4-Tyler Adams (24-Cristian Roldan, 62), 8-Sebastian Berhalter (6-Jack McGlynn, 79); 10-Christian Pulisic, 7-Diego Luna (17-Alex Zendejas, 71), 21-Tim Weah (3-Chris Richards, 62); 9-Josh Sargent (20-Folarin Balogun, 62)

Substitutes not used: 12-Jonathan Klinsmann, 22-Roman Celentano, 11-Damion Downs, 14-Luca de la Torre, 19-Nathan Harriel

Head coach: Mauricio Pochettino

KOR: 21-Jo Hyeon-woo, 3-Lee Han-beom, 4-Kim Min-jae, 14-Kim Ju-sung (26-Kim Tae-hyeon, 83), 13-Lee Tae-seok, 22-Seol Young-woo (25-Jeong Sang-bin, 83), 24-Kim Jin-Gyu (23-Jens Castrop, 63), 8-Paik Seung-ho, 11-Lee Dong-gyeong (18-Lee Kang-in, 64), 10-Lee Jae-sung (17-Bae Jun-ho, 50), 7-Son Heung-min (Capt.) (19-Oh Hyeon-gyu, 63)

Substitutes not used: 1- Kim Seung-gyu, 12- Song Bumkeun, 20- Jun-Soo Byeon, 2- Lee Myung-jae, 5- Park Yong-woo, 15-Kim Moon-hwan, 9-Oh Se-hun, 16- Park Jin-seop, 6- Seo Min-woo

Head coach: Hong Myung-bo

Stats Summary: USA / KOR
Shots: 17 / 5
Shots on Goal: 5 / 4
Saves: 2 / 5
Corner Kicks: 6 / 3
Fouls: 8 / 4
Offside: 1 / 0

Misconduct Summary
USA – Alex Zendejas (caution) 12th minute

Officials:

Referee: Reon Radix (GRN)
Assistant 1: Zachari Zeegelaar (SUR)
Assistant 2: Clinton Hayward (BER)
Fourth Official: Shavin Greene (GUY)