US men to play South Korea, Japan in September friendlies with World Cup looming
The US will play two friendlies against East Asian opponents after this summer's Gold Cup. Photograph: Shaun Clark/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF
The US men's national team will kick off the final part of their journey to the 2026 World Cup with September friendlies against South Korea and Japan, the US Soccer Federation announced on Tuesday.
The US will play South Korea on 6 September at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, before traveling to Ohio to take on Japan at Lower.com Field in Columbus on 9 September.
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The friendlies come in the first of four international windows between this summer's Gold Cup and next year's main event – the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.
Related: Nations League losses and sparse crowds have US momentum at low ebb
The US previously played at Sports Illustrated Stadium, then known as Red Bull Arena, in the run-up to the 2014 World Cup, when Fabian Johnson and Clint Dempsey scored in a 2-1 win over Turkey. They also hosted Costa Rica in a World Cup qualifier there in 2018, losing 2-1 to Costa Rica in a result that contributed greatly to the infamous failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
The meeting with South Korea will be the eighth-ever between the sides, the most notable of which came in the 2002 World Cup group stage when Clint Mathis and Ahn Jung-hwan scored in a 1-1 draw in Daegu.
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South Korea are currently in a good spot in World Cup qualifying, sitting in first place of their group in Round 3 of AFC qualifiers with a three-point lead over Jordan and a four-point lead over Iraq. With the top two sides earning automatic qualification to the 2026 tournament, South Korea are likely to book their tickets to North America in June's international window with games against Iraq and Kuwait. The team, coached by legendary defender and former LA Galaxy player Hong Myung-bo, also boast star power in the form of Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min.
Related: An increasingly multicultural Japan have qualified for the 2026 World Cup
Japan, meanwhile, have already assured their spot in next year's showpiece. In March, the Samurai Blue became the first non-host nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, and are riding a 12-match unbeaten run dating back to February 2024. Japan have reached the round of 16 in the last two World Cups and are currently ranked No 15 in the world.
The US will host Japan at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio, home of MLS's Columbus Crew. It will be the third time the US men play at the venue, having hosted two World Cup qualifiers there on the road to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
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