The United States Men’s National Team are getting their fall schedule off to a strong start. Today, U.S. Soccer announced that the USMNT will face South Korea and Japan in domestic friendlies in September.
The September international window will see the USMNT open up against South Korea on September 6th at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. Kickoff for that match is scheduled for 5:00pm ET. They will follow that match up by taking on Japan at Lower.com Field in Columbus on September 9th, with kickoff set for 7:30pm ET.
The matches will serve as the start of preparations for the 2026 World Cup, giving the USMNT some experience against two of the best teams from Asia. Japan is currently the 15th ranked team in the FIFA rankings, just above the USMNT. South Korea is 23rd in the rankings. The USMNT are 2W-3L-2D all-time against South Korea, with the last match against them coming in February 2014, a 2-0 U.S. win. The USMNT are 1W-2L-0D against Japan, with the last match coming in September 2022 in a friendly in Düsseldorf, Germany. Japan won that match 2-0.
Japan currently holds a 12-match unbeaten run that dates back to February 2024. They also are the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. South Korea currently sits atop their World Cup qualifying group, as the Asian Football Confederation is currently in Round 3 of qualifying. That will give the USMNT a real test as they continue to get ready to co-host the 2026 World Cup.
AloJapan.com