The September international window was a bit all over the place for the U.S. team, though it did finish on an upbeat note. A poor first-half performance Saturday against South Korea condemned the Americans to a 2-0 defeat, but the team rebounded Tuesday against Japan as attackers Folarin Balogun and Alex Zendejas made the most of their rare starts, contributing a goal each in a 2-0 victory.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Alejandro Zendejas scored in the 30th minute, Folarin Balogun added a goal in the 64th and the United States stopped a seven-game winless streak against top 25 opponents by beating a Japan team of mostly second-string players 2-0 in a friendly on Tuesday night. The 15th-ranked U.S. was coming off a 2-0 loss to South Korea on Saturday in the first of eight friendlies before coach Mauricio Pochettino calls in players for training ahead of the World Cup.
Following Saturday's 2-0 loss to South Korea, the USMNT quickly bounced back with a more proactive attack through an experimental 3-4-3 formation. In a first half that included 63% possession, the home side created danger through high-pressing full-backs Max Arfsten and Alex Freeman. After a clever dribble from Arfsten in the 30th minute, the 24-year-old launched a cross that found Zendejas, who impressively volleyed the ball into the back of the net.
The U.S. Soccer Federation is finalizing details for the United States to play Portugal in a friendly in March, with Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium the likely venue, multiple sources with knowledge of the discussions told ESPN. The match, if held, would see Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo play in the U.S. for the first time since 2014 when he was here as part of Real Madrid's tour of the U.S.
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The players tried to do, they did what we wanted. I think I am positive because the players trust in the process, because they know that we have a plan, know here inside that we have a plan and we stick with the plan.
The United States will play Paraguay and Uruguay in its last two friendlies this year on FIFA international fixture dates. The Americans will meet Paraguay on Nov. 15 in Chester, Pennsylvania, and Uruguay three days later in Tampa, Florida, the U.S. Soccer Federation said Saturday. - Pochettino, Pulisic must reconcile for USMNT before World Cup -Tim Weah: 'Don't regret' calling USMNT critics 'evil' Paraguay and Uruguay already have qualified for next year's World Cup.
Daniel Edelman expressed his frustration at being overlooked by the national team despite being a key player for the Red Bulls, saying "I thought I should have been called up at the beginning of January, after the MLS Cup... it's definitely giving me a chip on my shoulder to keep playing and perform well with the Red Bulls."
