USA struggling against quality opponents ahead of FIFA World Cup
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HARRISON, N.J. (AP) — The United States is consistent as it prepares to host next year's World Cup: The Americans keep losing to top 25 teams and home games feel like road matches as fans cheer opponents.
“Going up to the World Cup we need to build confidence within ourselves and give the fans confidence, so it’s disappointing to lose the game, for sure,” forward Folarin Balogun said after Saturday's 2-0 defeat to South Korea in a friendly.
With a crowd of 26,500 cheering on the Taegeuk Warriors, Son Heung-min scored in the 18th minute and set up Lee Dong-gyeong’s goal in the 43rd. The 15th-ranked Americans are winless in their last seven games against top 25 teams and have been outscored 17-3, including 11-1 in five straight losses.
Coach Mauricio Pochettino's ever-positive outlook was essentially: What, me worry?
“We need to start to win when the World Cup starts,” he said. “Too many examples that teams — they win during five years and then arrive to the World Cup and then they don’t arrive in the best condition. I was involved in 2002 with Argentina, we were beating (teams) during five years and then we arrived to the the World Cup and we were out in the group stage.”
Pochettino pointed out that the U.S. outplayed South Korea for much of the game and had a 2.23 expected goals from 17 shots while the visitors had 0.74 from five.
No. 23 South Korea, which has qualified for its 11th straight World Cup, went ahead when Lee Jae-sung fed a through ball as Son broke past defender Tristan Blackmon and beat goalkeeper Matt Freese to the far post.
South Korea doubled the lead when Son ran onto Lee Jae-sung’s flick and tumbled over Freese. The ball rolled to Lee Dong-gyeong, who put the ball into the empty net with a backheel.
“We were so passive and providing the space to score,” Pochettino said. “We showed a little bit lack of communication, but that is normal.”
Just half the current roster was at the Gold Cup and several regulars weren't asked in for the match against South Korea or Tuesday's game against 17th-ranked Japan in Columbus, Ohio. Blackmon started in his international debut at age 29.
Pochettino said the Americans can't be judged “like we are a very consolidated or stable team with a roster that they are playing for four years together.”
“I don’t think we feel pressure to win. Obviously we want to win, but they’re friendlies, so this is the time that we can learn,” said right back Sergiño Dest, who made his first appearance since March 2024 after recovering from a torn right ACL. “We need to be sharp at all times, because even though you play a pretty decent game, if you’re not sharp for one second, you can get the goal against.”
After losing the CONCACAF Gold Cup final to Mexico in July, the U.S. planned eight friendlies before players report for training ahead of the World Cup. The Americans' World Cup opener on June 12 will be their first competitive match in 11 months.
“At the end of the day you feel the importance of games when they really, really mean something and you feel the difference in level of intensity to a game like today compared to even Gold Cup,” midfielder Tyler Adams said. “When the game means something, everyone’s playing all out at 100% every single game when you want to go through in the group and you want play in the final and you want to win silverware. So it is a little bit of a different environment and we need to push ourselves to understand that these games have a high value right now.”
Seats were filled with fans in the South Korean color of red.
“It was like a home match,” Taegeuk Warriors coach Hong Myung-bo said.
Pochettino lavished praise on opposing fans after they dominated stadiums during Gold Cup matches against Guatemala in St. Louis and Mexico in Houston. He was more reserved this time.
“I want to be positive from now and to encourage our fans to come," he said, “hope that we can change ... sometimes the percentage of the fans of the opponent and our own fans here.” He added that at the World Cup “with the help with the fans, I think we are going to be very, very difficult to beat.”
Pochettino revealed some advice he gave players after the match about friendlies, when there is no video review.
“When we play a game without VAR," he said, “we need to be a little bit more naughty.”
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