Sonny's South Korea Dominate USMNT 🇰🇷🇺🇸

S. Korea Dominate USMNT in New Jersey 🇰🇷🇺🇸 

Rog writes: On Saturday, South Korea–Bong Joon Ho, BTS, New Jeans–turned the U.S. men’s national team into bibimbap. Today, we recoil after a 2-0 beatdown in New Jersey, in a stadium full of fans who went home happy, not disappointed, where the United States essentially lived out their own personal “Squid Game.” And the U.S. player whose stock rose most over the weekend? Probably Weston McKennie.

For those who love the U.S. team, we were all left crying in H Mart. Simply put, the USMNT is in bad, bad shape. It's painful to believe this is where we are less than a year to go before the World Cup of our dreams on home turf. Saturday night, the first of 10 games before the World Cup begins, was a nightmare, proof of the old sports truism that everyone’s got a plan until they have to play a non-CONCACAF nation that knows how to press and punch you in the mouth. Also, that Sonny camera celly really hits harder when it’s against the USA. 🇰🇷

ii. We meet Japan tomorrow night with question marks swirling around every position and Mauricio Pochettino trying to open-audition for long-term culture while sacrificing short-term chemistry. I adore Poch as a club manager, but watching him as an international coach dig so deep to find replacements only to discover they are of sub-par quality is tough to witness. 🇯🇵🫣

There will be a lot to parse through and a lot to react to during the game. Whether it’s from a place of mutual misery or even possible joy, join us on the #usmnt channel on our Discord to take the game in with others who are ready, willing and screaming for a win. Football is, of course, better with friends. 🫂

I will be going live with Clint Dempsey immediately after the game tomorrow night, taking your questions and reactions on a live taping of The Deuce. Join us on YouTube with your thoughts, your questions, and all the rest. ♠️

iii. Last week, I sat down with the ever-thoughtful Tyler Adams to talk about a USMNT in transition, unexpected glue guys and the "breath of fresh air" that is the return of Christian Pulisic. I love Tyler's honesty and his ability to spark optimism in the midst of a challenging set of friendlies for Poch's American side. Speaking with him is reinvigorating. He delivers hope at a time when it is most needed. Give it a watch and help buoy your spirits. 🦅

iv. Tonight I will take the stage at a sold-out Kemba Live in that fortress city, Columbus, Ohio, with Clint and Herculez Gomez for a night of honest talk and storytelling, in the face of this chaotic predicament. I know this: Columbus has always lifted this U.S. team when we have needed it. Two hundred and seventy-six days before the World Cup returns to these shores, it is great to be back in that magical kingdom with its deep footballing roots and, once again, lean on them, and their singularly passionate fans, in our hour of need. WE JUST ADDED SOME LAST-MINUTE TICKETS, get them here. 🇺🇸🍻

📬 Enjoying USMNT Only? Check out our other MiB newsletters:

🔍 The Correspondent: Rory Smith’s thoughts on the world of soccer, culture, food, and how they all connect – every Thursday.

🐦‍⬛ The Raven: Our Monday and Friday newsletter where we preview the biggest matches around the world (and tell you where/how to watch them) and recap our favorite football moments from the weekend.

🌞 The Women’s Game: Everything you need to know about women’s football, sent straight to your inbox each week.

The MiB HQ Bulletin Board 📣

The Deuce with Clint Dempsey ♠️🇺🇸 - “The rain can't last forever, the sun's going to have to come out.”

Clint Dempsey on where he is after Saturday’s 2-0 loss 🗣️

“Lord help us. This is it, bro. I mean, I'm normally the positive guy, glass half full, but man, even I'm getting kind of beat down in the dumps. I'm starting to feel like Eeyore from ‘Winnie the Pooh,’ man. I feel like it ain't gonna work out.”

On what happened to the USMNT’s midfield against South Korea 🗣️

“Maybe we were missing some creativity... like a McKennie. I don't know what's going on with the thought process of why you bring in certain players and not others, but I would always want to have my best players in, especially with not a lot of meaningful games left as we build towards the World Cup. Try to play those best players and really just look for a little bit of depth.”

Clint’s top five players that are locked in on the USMNT 🗣️

“If you think about the guys that are for sure lock-ins on this team, I would say Chris Richards, Tyler Adams, Christian Pulisic, and Antonee Robinson. And the fifth one is tough to find, but probably Sergiño Dest. Maybe you could put McKinney in the mix, but you don't know about the relationship with him and Pochettino there and then. We're still looking for a No. 9, we’re looking for a goalie, but who’s gonna be the main man there?”

On the state of Poch Ball 🗣️

“[Pochettino’s system] is something that's not really setting the world alight... We struggle building out of the back. We don't have a clear cut way we attack. We're not creative enough and we don't create enough chances.”

Clint’s few words of encouragement for U.S. fans 🗣️

“The rain can't last forever. The sun's going to have to come out. It's always your next game, it's always your next goal. Don't get too high, don't get too low. It's a roller coaster and, you know, we're just a goal away from getting back on that wave. So let's get to surfing.”

Watch the full episode to get all of Clint and Rog’s thoughts on the USMNT's loss to South Korea, and make sure to follow The Deuce on TikTok and YouTube for even more Texas-infused insight.

Tomorrow’s Matchup: Japan 🇯🇵

The USMNT have only faced Japan three times in their history, winning once and losing twice, with the most recent defeat coming in a 2022 friendly when the Samurai Blue won 2-0. While Poch’s scattergun selection policy means the U.S. continue to be a bit… mishmash, Japan, in their seventh year under Hajime Moriyasu, are streamlined and currently in midst of a golden era of sorts. They were the first nation to qualify for next year’s World Cup and boast Premier League stalwarts Kaoru Mitoma and Wataru Endo, Real Sociedad wizard, Takefusa Kubo, and a healthy roster of Bundesliga talent. Japan have qualified for seven consecutive World Cups now, and although they’re interestingly two spots below Poch’s boys at 17th in the current FIFA rankings, this will be one of the U.S. Men’s sternest tests ahead of next summer’s showcase.

More: From Shinji Kagawa to Hiroki Itō - Why Japan and the Bundesliga are a perfect match.

News & Notes 🗞️

• Just what we were all hoping for: next year’s World Cup will utilize dynamic pricing, similar to what was used at last summer’s Club World Cup. Put simply, it’s surge pricing to reflect demand, and while FIFA has said the cheapest tickets will start at a somewhat reasonable $60, the most expensive seats will open at $6,730 per.

• A lot of USMNT players moved to new teams this summer. Here’s a breakdown of each one.

• The U.S. will play Paraguay and Uruguay, both of whom have already qualified for next year’s World Cup, in their final friendlies 2025 on Nov. 15 and 18.

• A move in the right direction: After years of fines and minimal progress, LGBTQ+ activists are now appealing directly to Mexican soccer fans to end anti-gay chant.

• USWNT and Angel City FC winger Alyssa Thompson is heading to Chelsea for a fee of up to $1.5 million, a new record transfer for an American woman.

As a Reminder 🗓️

Win, lose, or draw tomorrow, we will go live with Clint Dempsey on YouTube immediately after the game vs. mighty Japan to break it all down on another episode of The Deuce. Come be with us and bring your questions about football, life, and what comes next for this USMNT squad. In the meantime, you can always reach us at [email protected] with any thoughts, theories, or photos of your dog.

And to end with a bit of joy: Take a bow, Univision social media team.

Courage,

Rog and the USMNT Only team 🇺🇸 🦅

If you’re enjoying USMNT Only, we’d love an assist. Forward this email or share this URL with a friend.

First time with us? Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox every week.

As always, you can send any feedback, thoughts, or odes to the ‘94 denim jerseys to [email protected].

Fact-based news without bias awaits. Make 1440 your choice today.

Overwhelmed by biased news? Cut through the clutter and get straight facts with your daily 1440 digest. From politics to sports, join millions who start their day informed.

Sign up now!