Player Ratings and Match Highlights

Son Heung-Min‘s 18th-minute goal was all South Korea needed to beat United States Soccerin this friendly clash at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Both squads were desperately seeking some positive momentum with the World Cup approaching.

South Korea ended up getting a critical 2-0 win under embattled head coach Hong Myung-bo. Meanwhile, the Americans continue to search for a vision under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who is running out of time.

Son was the man of the match as he was directly involved in both goals, scoring the first one and assisting on Lee Dong-gyeong’s goal in the 43rd minute.

Throughout the first half, South Korea definitely got the better of the United States when it came to creating clear chances, but the Americans still had plenty of opportunities to get one into the back of the net, as shown by the shooting disparity

South Korea will now look towards Tuesday, where they will face Mexico, while Mauricio Pochettino’s team will look to regroup against a very good Japan team that same night.

Match Statistics

Match Highlights

United States Player Ratings

GK – Matt Freese – 5/10

Wasn’t at fault for the goals and was decent at dealing with some tricky back passes. It’s hard to evaluate if he’s the man in the net going forward, but it looks like the job is his to lose right now.

RB – Sergino Dest – 6.5/10

Can be considered at fault for South Korea’s second goal, but that is a risk of playing him so high up the field. Dest, however, was very dynamic going forward on the right and created more than a few dangerous chances with his play.

CB – Triston Blackmon – 3/10

Unfortunately, the 29-year-old looked out of place against a tough opponent to debut against. Blackmon played a part in both goals, being too slow to cover Son on the first one, while being late backing up Tim Ream for the second goal.

CB – Tim Ream – 4/10

Solid with the ball at his feet, but looked slow at certain points, especially when South Korea picked up the tempo. The 37-year-old is a roster lock for the World Cup, but he isn’t getting any younger.

LB – Max Arfsten – 5/10

Didn’t do much on both sides of the pitch. Was not at fault for either goal, but also not dynamic going forward, which is one of the main reasons why he got the start.

CDM – Tyler Adams – 5/10

Did his best to stabilize the midfield, but too many times this unit looked out of sync, and that played a part in Son getting way too much space on the second goal. Adams was fine in possession aside from a giveaway here or there.

CDM – Sebastian Berlhalter – 4.5/10

Was potentially the hardest working player on the pitch, but not the most efficient. Fouled a lot of South Korean players throughout the contest while also having some good defensive takeaways.

RW – Timothy Weah – 6/10

Was the closest United States player to scoring a goal. Got hurt around the 60th minute and was eventually substituted. Still erratic with his finishing.

CAM – Christian Pulisic – 5.5/10

Dangerous at times, but not enough for a player of his standard. Was fouled a lot during the contest, which will be the norm, especially at the international level. A lot more dangerous in the second half.

LW – Diego Luna – 5/10

Played very hard and offered a bit going forward, but didn’t have a significant impact on the game. But it’s understandable why Pochettino is drawn to a player of his talents.

ST – Josh Sargent – 4/10

Wasn’t given much service, but also failed to make an impression. Balogun was a lot more dynamic instantly.

SUB – Chris Richards – 6.5/10

Very good in his limited action. Clearly, the United States’ best defender.

SUB – Folarin Balogun – 5.5/10

Another positive presence on the pitch. His runs gave Christian Pulisic more room to work with. Should’ve scored later on.

SUB – Alex Freeman – N/A

Didn’t do much after coming on.

SUB – Cristan Roldan – N/A

Didn’t do much after coming on.

SUB – Jack McGlynn – N/A

Didn’t do much after coming on.

SUB – Alejandro Zendejas – 6/10

Was dynamic on the wing when he was on the pitch. Should’ve had an assist.

South Korea Player Ratings

GK – Jo Hyeon-woo – 6.5/10

Didn’t have to do much throughout the contest, but did not look shaky when called upon. Had a fantastic save towards the end of the match.

RB – Seol Young-woo – 6/10

Didn’t get tested much but was relatively sure-handed throughout this class. Holding dynamic wings like Christian Pulisic and Timothy Weah scoreless is a positive sign.

CB – Lee Han-beom – 6.5/10

Another positive presence in the back. Not tested all that much, but this game was definitely a boost for the 23-year-old.

CB – Kim Min-jae – 6/10

Stable at the back for the most part, aside from a few precarious passes. The Bayern Munich center back is a crucial piece to this roster, who will get more tested in the near future.

CB – Kim Ju-sung – 7/10

The most solid among the defenders in possession and in his coverage. Phased Josh Sargent out of the game and frequently was physical with the rest of the United States’ attackers.

LB – Lee Tae-seok – 5/10

Was the more susceptible of the two wing-backs when it came to getting beaten. Particularly shaky in the second half.

RM – Lee Dong-gyeong – 7.5/10

Great throughout the contest and scored the game’s second goal. Frequently dynamic with his runs and stable in possession.

CM – Paik Seung-ho – 6.5/10

Productive presence in the midfield, who, while he didn’t stand out like some of his counterparts, had an encouraging performance.

CM – Kim Jin-kyu – 6/10

Accurate with his passes, not the most stable with his dribbling, but he played a role in South Korea winning the midfield battle.

LM – Lee Jae-sung – 8/10

Terrific at creating chances and also pressing throughout the game. If not for Son, he would be the Man of the Match.

ST – Son Heung-min – 8.5/10 (Man of the Match)

Was substituted of early in the second half but had already made his mark on the game. Son is still one of the best players in Asia, even when changing leagues. Directly responsible for both goals and frequently dangerous outside of that.

SUB – Bae Jun-ho – 5/10

Not a huge impact when he came on early in the second half, but there was no noticeable drop in quality from South Korea. The United States did create more chances later on, but that was largely due to their positive substitutions.

SUB – Oh Hyeon-gyu – N/A

Didn’t do much after coming on.

SUB – Lee Kang-in – N/A

Didn’t do much after coming on.

SUB – Jens Castrop – N/A

Didn’t do much after coming on.

SUB – Jeong Sang-bin – N/A

Didn’t do much after coming on.

SUB – Kim Tae-hyeon – N/A

Didn’t do much after coming on.