Are we wishing for Gregg Berhalter back yet? Probably not, but let’s be real—it’s hard to imagine the results being much worse under him than they are under Mauricio Pochettino. This wasn’t ever going to be a walk in the hanbok-lined park. South Korea are disciplined, skilled, and led by a world-class star who chews up defenders for breakfast. But what we got was a comprehensive 2-0 defeat that could have been uglier than a post-3 a.m. Jack in the Box run.
What We Learned
The Center Back problem is DEFCON 1
Remember after the 2022 World Cup when optimism was bubbling? When all we needed was to find Tim Ream’s successor before he hit Social Security eligibility and pray Walker Zimmerman could stop looking like an MLS lifer pretending at the varsity dance? Yeah, that problem wasn’t solved. It’s metastasized. It looks like Ream is gonna be one of the guys in ’26, and that’s fine if someone athletic like Chris Richards is his partner, but if either one gets hurt, it’s curtains.
Tristan Blackmon is not the answer
This isn’t a personal attack. Blackmon’s a nice story, having a nice season for a nice Vancouver side. But nice doesn’t stop Son Heung-min. He was cooked for Korea’s opener (though VAR might’ve bailed him out if it was in use), and charitably kept trying to donate possession back to Seoul. International quality? Not unless we’re playing in the Concacaf Retirement League.
Sergiño Dest is the sun
Without him, the U.S. attack is a solar eclipse: just darkness and disappointment. Every threatening moment came from his marauding runs. Every. Single. One. His final product will always be chaos—he’s that friend who insists on doing tequila shots before a job interview—but his presence changes the entire vibe of this team. Without him, we’re negative goals.
Pochettino might be a fraud
This isn’t overreaction theater—it’s empirical. The team looks worse. Much worse. Yes, McKennie and Antonee Robinson weren’t here, and yes, they’d help. But what’s Poch’s imprint so far? Other than looking like a man wondering when his Tottenham severance checks stop clearing? If we were promised tactical clarity and got tactical indigestion, at what point do we admit the emperor’s designer suit is empty?
Group stage exit incoming
Optimism would be delusion. If the U.S. weren’t hosting in 2026, they’d struggle to even qualify. There—I said it. Call me negative, but it’s the only bright side I see: at least FIFA can’t kick the hosts out.
Player Ratings (out of 10)
GK Matt Freese, 6.5 – One of the few bright spots for the US. Yeah, he allowed goals, but none of them were on him. Smothered Son nicely early on to prevent a certain goal and bailed out his defense when they melted like a dollar-store ice cream cone. He’s not world class, not even close, but if he’s one of the three keepers the US rosters for the World Cup, he won’t look out of place.
RB Sergiño Dest, 7.5 – Had he not been on the field, the US would have scored negative two goals instead of being shut out. That’s how inept their attack is in the final third. His final product—be it pass or shot—is perpetually lacking, and always will be. That’s just who he is. But his willingness to tirelessly drive play forward is unparalleled from right back and absolutely critical to any pipe dreams this team has about success.
CB Tristan Blackmon, 2.5 – Blackmon is a nice story, having a nice season for a nice Vancouver Whitecaps team. Nice. But he was a disaster in this game. Maybe it was debut nerves, but he was undressed by Son for Korea’s opener (though VAR probably would have saved him), caught out of position on Korea’s second, and put Freese under pressure multiple times with ill-advised backpasses. To be fair, he had a couple of nice interceptions and looked composed enough with the ball at his feet—when facing away from his own goal. But this isn’t international quality. Out of his depth.
CB Tim Ream, 6.0 – I’ve argued the team could survive with Ream as one of the center backs at the World Cup, but only if he’s partnered with someone competent. If it’s Chris Richards, fine. If it’s not, red alert. Ream is still smart, still positions himself well, but his distribution was slightly off today, and he wasn’t blameless on Korea’s second. The backline looks like a retirement home with him, but it’s a retirement home with discipline.
LB Max Arfsten, 6.5 – Usually dreadful at this level, Arfsten actually looked solid here. Worked into good positions, wasn’t exposed defensively, and put in a blue-collar shift. Hard to find much to complain about, but also hard to find much to get excited about. He’s no Jedi Robinson, but he wasn’t the problem today.
DCM Tyler Adams, 5.0 – Adams is an enigma. Sometimes he looks like N’Golo Kanté, sometimes like Ali Dia. Should probably have been booked early for a cynical foul, and then faded into anonymity. And that’s the problem—his whole thing is influence, bite, control. Today? Anonymous.
DCM Sebastian Berhalter, 5.0 – Someone once convinced Pochettino that Berhalter is a set-piece weapon. That person should be publicly flogged. To be fair, he wasn’t outright terrible, and he even forced a decent save early on (though most AYSO keepers stop that too). Credit where due: the Abercrombie-model looks took a hit when he picked up a hematoma, so he at least looked the part of a guy in a real match.
RW Christian Pulisic, 5.5 – Still the most skilled American, but he didn’t show it here. The hope was that he’d make a statement return under Poch, but instead he drifted between anonymous and merely fine. Decent moments, sure, but whenever magic was needed, his pass or shot was slow, heavy, or off-target. Takes too damn long on the ball. Nothing memorable.
LW Tim Weah, 5.5 – The idea of Weah will always be better than the reality. He works hard. He looks dangerous in space. He’ll make you lean forward in your chair—and then spray his shot into orbit. Fired multiple efforts a combined 250 feet high and wide. His great goal against Wales in 2022 remains his high-water mark, and probably always will.
CF Josh Sargent, 3.0 – Why even start Sargent against an undersized Korean defense if you’re not going to use him properly? He’s a striker who needs service, and he got none. Positive marks for defending set pieces. But the attack was noticeably more dangerous the second he came off. That says it all.
Subs of Note
- Folarin Balogun: Got 30 minutes and immediately showed why he’s the problem opposing defenses don’t want. Denied only by a miracle save late on. When fit, he’s clearly the #1 option.
- Alex Freeman: Entered, instantly became the worst player on the field. Should’ve been subbed back off after 10 minutes. One decent late cross narrowly missing the oncoming head of Richards could have redeemed him somewhat, but he’s a liability everywhere.
- Alejandro Zendejas: Limited touches but looked willing to make something happen. Didn’t, but you can still see the tools. Intriguing, if wasted here.
Now What?
If Pochettino’s plan is to make us nostalgic for Gregg Berhalter, congratulations—mission accomplished. If step two is to make us pine for Jurgen Klinsmann, I’m renouncing citizenship and pledging allegiance to maple syrup. Canada’s got room for one more, right? Because if this trajectory holds, we’ll be watching our 2026 “golden generation” flame out epically on home soil. Time is now out. Whatever runway there was to build cohesion and implement his high pressing approach has reached its end. The final product is what it will be. The hope is that a healthy Robinson and McKennie make a difference, but we’ll see. In the meantime, pessimism abounds.
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