In a pre-World Cup friendly match, Son Heung-min scored in the 18th minute and assisted on a goal by Lee Dong-gyeong in the 43rd, leading South Korea to a 2-0 victory over the United States. The match was played on American soil, but the crowd at the stadium was overwhelmingly in support of the visitors.
Playing against a team coached by his former Tottenham manager, Mauricio Pochettino, Son scored his 52nd international goal, bringing him within six of Cha Bum-kun's all-time South Korean record.
The U.S. national team's record under Pochettino now stands at 10-7. The team has just seven friendlies remaining before the players are selected for the pre-World Cup training camp. The 15th-ranked Americans are now winless in seven games against teams ranked in the top 25, having lost six of those matches. Their last victory against a top-25 team was in the 2024 CONCACAF Nations League final against Mexico. In the first half of those seven games, they were outscored 11-2.
The Americans, who are preparing to co-host next year's World Cup, are scheduled to play against Japan on Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio. South Korea will face Mexico on Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee.
The U.S. team once again faced a crowd that made the game feel like a road match, as most of the 26,500 fans at the home of Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls were rooting for South Korea. Pochettino had previously praised the passion of opposition fans during the CONCACAF Gold Cup games last summer, specifically against Guatemala in St. Louis and Mexico in Houston.
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The 23rd-ranked South Korea took the lead when Lee Jae-sung delivered a through ball to Son, who broke past defender Tristan Blackmon and beat goalkeeper Matt Freese to the far post. South Korea's second goal came when Son ran onto a flick from Lee Jae-sung and tumbled over Freese. The ball rolled to Lee Dong-gyeong, who scored into the empty net with a backheel.
For the U.S., right back Sergiño Dest made his first appearance since March 2024 after recovering from a torn right ACL. Additionally, Tristan Blackmon, a 29-year-old defender, made his international debut, partnering with 37-year-old Tim Ream.
Forward Josh Sargent started the game but remains without an international goal since 2019. He was substituted in the 62nd minute by Falorin Balogun, who had not played under Pochettino. Balogun was denied twice by Jo Hyeon-woo in stoppage time.
Cristian Roldan also entered the match in the 62nd minute, marking his first appearance since the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Pochettino confirmed that Tim Weah left the game in the 62nd minute after experiencing a cramp near his hamstring.
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