USMNT player ratings vs South Korea: Son Heung-Min shines, upstages his former Tottenham manager as Mauricio Pochettino’s sputtering side has no answers in 2-0 loss

With a chance to seize momentum, the USMNT's performance indicated such momentum is further away than ever

More of the same, That's the best way to sum it up.

If you appreciated Mauricio Pochettino's U.S. men's national team experimentation throughout 2025, you'll understand some of the decisions that went into Saturday's friendly against South Korea. If you weren't a believer in that roster and lineup tinkering? More frustration. No matter which side you were on, it was another loss.

Despite the return of several key players, the USMNT were never really on the front foot in a 2-0 loss to Son Heung-Min and South Korea, the seventh in 17 games of this Pochettino era. There were some bright moments, but few real signs of life. Despite the lessons learned in the spring and summer, the team of the fall offered little more than their predecessors, albeit against a very good South Korea team.

South Korea and LAFC star Son Heung-Min - who played for Pochettino at Tottenham - stepped up as he so often does, netting the opener in the 19th minute. He played a part in Lee Dong-Gyeong's goal just before halftime, too, providing the assist against an overwhelmed USMNT defense.

There were chances on the other side, for sure, but far too few. South Korea, by and large, looked comfortable, even in the moments in which the USMNT tried to force them out of that comfort zone. South Korea, No. 23 in FIFA's world rankings, took a 2-0 first-half lead over No. 15 USMNT and never let up.

In their last seven matches against top-25 teams, the U.S. have been outscored 11-2 in the first half, and haven't beaten a non-North American top-25 squad since Iran at the 2022 World Cup. The U.S face No. 17 Japan on Tuesday.

For those USMNT players who weren't in the Gold Cup, this is, essentially, a third consecutive loss, following the Nations League exit in March. Just 10 months from a World Cup, there are still very real questions about this team and this group, who did little to prove a point in their latest opportunity to do so.

Yes, Saturday included a mix of experimentation and stars, and that mix didn't work. Now, as the World Cup edges ever-closer, Pocehttino seems no closer to getting that formula right. The clock is ticking.

GOAL rates the USMNT's players from Sports Illustrated Stadium.

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Goalkeeper & Defense
Matt Freese (6/10):
No real blame for him on the goals, and he did make one fantastic save late. Despite the scoreline, he didn't hurt his case, starting in his seventh straight game.
Max Arfsten (5/10):
Had one very bad sequence in the first half but, generally, the game was focused on the other side. That prevented Arfsten from really doing what he does best: going forward, as the U.S. largely played through Sergino Dest.
Tim Ream (5/10):
Put out a few fires, but didn't really have any chemistry with Tristan Blackmon. That led to him running a bit more than you'd like, which obviously isn't his strength at this point in is career.
Tristan Blackmon (3/10):
Just no excusing some of his play in the first half. Fell asleep on Son's goal, had a few bad passes and didn't exactly cover himself in glory on other South Korea attacks, either. A rough debut.
Sergino Dest (6/10):
Probably the best USMNT player on the field. Created a few half-chances and frequently looked to take on defenders as he usually does. One of few positive signs for a team that will be glad to have him back.

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Midfield
Tyler Adams (4/10):
A poor game by his standards. Couldn't really progress the ball and, even when he did get stuck in, he generally either committed a foul or didn't get the ball.
Sebastian Berhalter (5/10):
Did some positive things, headlined by a good shot early on and one really good cross. But also clearly struggled with the quality of the opponent throughout the game.
Diego Luna (6/10):
Out of all the players on the field, Luna was the one most keen to try things. That's not a surprise, but those don't always come off. Still, you get points for trying, especially in such a frustrating performance otherwise.
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Attack
Tim Weah (5/10):
Never really broke free in the way that the USMNT needed him to. Had one shot go 50 feet over the goal in the second half, which seemed a good metaphor for both him and the USMNT.
Josh Sargent (4/10):
A pretty hopeless job, to be fair. His only service generally came via hopeful longballs, which asked him to win one-on-ones with Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-Jae. Have fun with that.
Christian Pulisic (5/10):
Unfair to say anonymous, but certainly wasn't the main character here, either. Got on the ball plenty, but didn't do much of anything in the final third. Not the performance he really wanted or needed, especially compared to Son's explosiveness for South Korea.

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Subs & Manager
Alex Freeman (6/10):
Touted as a potential Dest replacement in moments of need, Freeman looked the part in his second-half run out.
Chris Richards (7/10):
Came on and immediately calmed down the defense. Also nearly scored on the USMNT's best chance of the game. That's why he's arguably the most locked-in starter in this group.
Cristian Roldan (6/10):
A logical substitution, even if he did join camp late. Provided some stability and won the ball back a few times.
Folarin Balogun (7/10):
This game was better designed for him than for Sargent, so it's worth wondering what it would have been like if he got the start? Illustrating that fact - his eight touches in the box compared to Sargent's one.
Alex Zendejas (7/10):
Similar to his appearance against Mexico in the fall, the Club America star came in and brought life. Tried hard to make something happen, so credit to him for that.
Jack McGlynn (6/10):
Played about 10 minutes or so. Was tidy enough on the ball, but nothing outstanding.
Mauricio Pochettino (3/10):
Tactically, got certain things right but certainly got some aspects very wrong. Yes, the game was defined by individual errors, but Pochettino picked the individuals, which is how the USMNT end up in this spot.

Goalkeeper & Defense

Midfield

Attack

Subs & Manager