Exposure or exposed? Losses or lessons? Mauricio Pochettino preaches process, Christian Pulisic underwhelms: Winners and losers from USMNT friendly vs South Korea

The recipient of the loudest pregame ovation? Son Heung-Min. The loudest of the game went to him, too. Such is life when you're your country's hero, now play in MLS and continue to do the business even with that status on your resume.

Son's goal midway through the first half sent the partisan crowd wild, but it was far from the only time that happened. Every time the LAFC star touched the ball, the stadium rose in anticipation. Time and time again, Son put the USMNT in danger, and everyone in the building could see it coming.

That was certainly the case on the goal, a fantastic finish past helpless USMNT goalkeeper Matt Freese. It was also the case on the assist, as Son helped turn the USMNT defense into Swiss cheese. And there were plenty of other moments in between, sequences that nearly led to more goals.

"He's just an intelligent player," said Adams. "You could see he's sharp. He knows how to make runs. I've played against him numerous times at Tottenham and he doesn't stop. he always finds the right spaces, and that's what makes him a world-class player."

Son, quite clearly, was the best player on the field. Everyone knew it going in, and everyone really, really knew it by the final whistle.

This was Tristan Blackmon’s first USMNT cap, so he deserves some grace. Nerves likely got him. It was a big occasion, after all. 

The problem is that there’s no time for nerves anymore, and even less time for game-breaking mistakes. Blackmon had a few and, while he’d have the freedom to play his way out of it at the end of a cycle, it’s tougher to do so this late in the game. It was a tough ask from the beginning but, with a World Cup looming, debutants, in particular, need to rise to the occasion.

Blackmon didn’t. 

"With Blackmon," Pochettino said, "we wanted to see him this time because we've seen in Vancouver that he has the profile to be in the national team. But you also need the experience to be at this level. The pressure is different. Everything is different. New teammates. Everything."

It’s hard to see him getting another chance ahead of this World Cup. He got his cap and, regardless of what happened, that’s something to remember, given how few people have received such an honor. Unfortunately, this was a game to forget, both for the defender and his national team.

Prior to these friendlies, Pochettino said this would be the last camp to experiment. Fans will hope so. It's long past time to get the guys that will be your World Cup cornerstones back into the XI.

"It's up to us to detect and identify the players that will be at their best," Pochettino said postgame. "It's also a possibility that they need to perform with their clubs. They need to play in a consistent way to arrive at the best condition at the World Cup. I think that is clear."

Some of those absences were due to injury, of course. Some weren't. There's no denying that the USMNT would have been better with Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Tanner Tessmann, Aidan Morris or Johnny Cardoso in midfield - take your pick.

Joe Scally could have surely provided stability at fullback. Mark McKenzie, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty and Miles Robinson will be wondering why they couldn't have had this chance after seeing the centerback pairing get carved up.

There were lessons learned on Saturday. The problem is that they were, in many ways, the same as those learned months ago. This player pool has a certain number who are top quality, and a certain number that simply aren't. It's long past time to acknowledge which are which.

Christian Pulisic needed a break this summer. Fair enough. The thing is, if you’re going to take that break, you have to deal with the spotlight that follows. Pulisic didn’t do that.

Pulisic was largely quiet on Saturday, struggling to take over a game that was calling out for him to take charge. That was the expectation, too, and the fact that it didn’t happen will only make the voices criticizing him grow louder. 

There's another chance against Japan on Tuesday. Bygones are bygones in USMNT camp, but Pulisic still has a point to prove. A goal on Tuesday would go a long way toward silencing the critics That could have happened Saturday. It didn’t. Until it does, it lingers over this team, particularly after such a dismal result.

He had multiple bites at the apple, but it never went in. Unlucky for Folarin Balogun, it has to be said. But, with those scoring chances, he offered glimpses of something that could potentially make all the difference. 

No, Balogun didn’t save the USMNT on Saturday, but, in truth, few could. With his flurry of late looks, though, he provided something the team was desperately missing: danger. 

Taking a step back, he likely could have provided more had he started. The USMNT, for much of the first half, was eager to play long balls and make Korea uncomfortable. The big issue was that the starting striker, Josh Sargent, wasn’t the burner capable of running into them.

Balogun, of course, can do just that, which is why he still likely has the highest ceiling of any striker in this pool. No knock on Sargent, of course, who was tossed into a game that didn’t really fit his skillset. Most games, though, will fit Balogun, and he showed why with his second-half appearance.

"It's just to add energy, just to create things, get in behind their back line," Balogun said. "I felt I did that a few times and caused them some problems. There are a few that could have been a PK. It's just about creating chaos, creating problems for them and trying to turn the games in our favor."

Following the loss, Pochettino hit all the talking points. He said he liked the performance, but not the moments. He wanted to see his team more clinical and more alive. He called for them to, at one point, be more "naughty," particularly in games without VAR. Right now, the USMNT is just lacking so many things: toughness, confidence, decisiveness and, ultimately, results.

Pochettino outlined the plan before the camp. On his timeline, this was his last real chance give fringe players a look, and he was going to take it, results be damned. There's a big picture at play, yes, but there's also something to be said about winning the moment, and the USMNT continues to win far too few.

It's up to Pochettino to address that. It may not come this camp, which continues against Japan, but it sure as hell has to come in the next one. With every loss, the pressure gets cranked up. With every poor performance, the public gets just a little bit more antsy about the possibility of a dream 2026 summer transforming into a nightmare.

So, while Pochettino doesn't believe that will happen, it's still up to him and the USMNT to convince the rest of the world of that fact. That didn't happen on Saturday night.