US Secures 2-0 Victory Over Japan in International Friendly Match

Zendejas and Balogun lead USA to 2-0 win over Japan in friendly

The US men's national team secured a 2-0 victory over Japan in an international friendly, with goals from Alex Zendejas and Folarin Balogun. Read more.

“It shows us that it's working. We all believe in the plan and the process, but tangible results like...”

The United States secured a comfortable 2-0 win over Japan in an international football friendly on Tuesday, with Alex Zendejas and Folarin Balogun scoring the decisive goals. Zendejas opened the scoring in the 30th minute with a left-footed volley into the lower left corner of the goal, capitalizing on Max Arfsten's cross from the left wing.

Balogun sealed the victory with an insurance goal in the 64th minute, taking a through ball from Christian Pulisic and blasting a left-footed shot from a steep angle into the far side of the goal. This win takes the Americans to 7-6 with one draw this year, and they did so in front of a crowd of 20,192 at Columbus, Ohio.

Club América winger Zendejas expressed his excitement about being called up, saying, “Just waiting for my moment. It's crazy to take all this in. I didn't expect to get called up. Just trying to take advantage of every opportunity.” His enthusiasm reflects the growing anticipation surrounding Mexico's national team.

In a thrilling friendly match held in Nashville, Tennessee, Mexico secured a 2-2 draw against South Korea, thanks to a dramatic equalizer from AC Milan striker Santiago Giménez. The goal came in the fourth minute of stoppage time, showcasing Giménez's skill and composure under pressure. Raúl Jiménez had given Mexico the lead with a precise header in the 21st minute, but South Korea's Son Heung-min and Oh Hyeon-Gyu scored to put their team ahead before Giménez's late strike.

Japan and South Korea have secured their spots in the World Cup through Asian qualifying, while the USA and Mexico qualified automatically as co-hosts alongside Canada. In their latest matches, South Korea handed the US a 2-0 defeat on Saturday, with Son Heung-min scoring and assisting. Meanwhile, Japan played to a goalless draw against Mexico on Saturday.

In a subsequent friendly match, Japan fielded an entirely new lineup compared to the one that drew with Mexico, showcasing their depth and talent. Conversely, the US coach, Mauricio Pochettino, made significant changes to the team that lost to South Korea, starting five new players in an effort to regroup and strategize for future matches.

"We believe in the process. We believe in the plan." pic.twitter.com/QMtcL4zVB9

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) September 10, 2025

“It shows us that it's working. We all believe in the plan and the process, but tangible results like tonight, it just makes it even more obvious...”

 

“I'm satisfied because I think the players deserve this result,” Pochettino said. “When you're strong in your ideas, it's about moving forward. At the end of the match, I thanked the players and encouraged them to continue improving their teams.”

Japan's goalkeeper Keisuke Osako made an impressive nine saves, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough to secure a win for his team. On the other hand, Matt Freese of the US team had a stellar performance, making six saves to secure a shutout. Freese expressed his thoughts on the team's victory, saying, “It shows us that it's working. We all believe in the plan and the process, but tangible results like tonight, it just makes it even more obvious.” This win showcases the team's progress and confidence under their current strategy.

The US team's 2-0 victory over Japan was marked by excellent performances from players like Alex Zendejas and Folarin Balogun, who scored the decisive goals. Freese's shutout was a testament to his skills, and he highlighted the team's confidence and growth under coach Mauricio Pochettino. With this win, the US team has demonstrated its potential, and fans are eagerly anticipating their upcoming matches.

The US took the lead when Alex Zendejas scored with a left-footed volley into the lower left corner of the goal, capitalizing on Max Arfsten's cross from the left wing. Zendejas described the moment, saying, "Luckily, the ball came my way. Coming to my left, I had to finish that." This goal showcased Zendejas' skill and composure in front of the goal.

Folarin Balogun sealed the victory with a well-taken goal, taking a through ball from Christian Pulisic and blasting a left-footed shot into the far side of the goal. The goal highlighted Balogun's clinical finishing and the team's attacking prowess. The 2-0 win marked a confident performance by the US team, with both goals demonstrating their ability to create and capitalize on scoring opportunities.

“It was important to get the win,” Balogun said. “We're building something big here. It takes time. The result was the most important thing. Confidence. I think it's really important. I feel happy with the team's performance.”

Mexico vs South Korea: Late Drama

Mexico took the lead when Raúl Jiménez scored a precise header from the heart of the box into the top right corner in the 22nd minute. However, South Korea equalized in the 65th minute when Son Heung-min, formerly of Tottenham and now with LAFC, blasted a left-footed shot into the net after taking a headed pass from Oh Hyeon-gyu. The match remained tied at 1-1 until the final whistle, with both teams creating opportunities, but neither could find the winner until stoppage time when Santiago Giménez scored, making it 2-2.

🚨🇲🇽 FT: THE RAUL JIMENEZ - SANTIAGO GIMENEZ DUO SAVE THE DAY AND MEXICO DRAWS AGAINST SOUTH KOREA.

Thoughts on tonight’s performance? ⁉️🇰🇷 pic.twitter.com/FloGX9BxjV

— All Fútbol MX 🇲🇽 (@AllFutbolMX) September 10, 2025

Oh Hyeon-gyu put South Korea ahead 2-1 in the 75th minute, scoring with a precise right-footed shot just inside the left post after receiving a pass from Lee Kang-in. However, Santiago Giménez salvaged a draw for Mexico with a stunning late goal, firing a left-footed shot from outside the box into the top left corner in the fourth minute of stoppage time, securing a 2-2 result.

USA Match Highlights:

Zendejas' Goal: The winger for Mexico's Club America scored the opening goal, saying, “Luckily the ball came my way. Coming to my left, I had to finish that.”

Balogun's Insurance Goal: The Monaco striker added a second goal, stating, “It was important to get the win. We're building something big here. Confidence is really important.”