USMNT Welcomes South Korea to Harrison for September Friendly Featuring Pulisic and Son

This weekend, the United States will play South Korea in a friendly match at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. The game comes after the US finished as runners-up in the 2025 Gold Cup. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday, September 6, at 5 pm ET, as reported by MLSsoccer.

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino has selected 12 MLS players for the match, including Diego Luna, Sebastian Berhalter, Jack McGlynn, and goalkeeper Matt Freese. He has also brought back several players from Europe, such as Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Tim Weah (Marseille), and Josh Sargent (Norwich City).

South Korea, who have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, are captained by Son Heung-min, who transferred to LAFC this summer for a record $26.5 million from Tottenham. Head coach Hong Myung-bo has included St. Louis City SC forward Sang Bin Jeong and Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Jens Castrop, marking the latter as the first naturalized player on the national team.

This match is a significant part of the USMNT’s preparations for the World Cup they will co-host with Mexico and Canada. For South Korea, the game offers a chance to rethink their strategy following a lackluster qualifying campaign, with plans for possible tactical changes, including a three-man backline.