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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Alexander Abnos

New-look USMNT show comfort and confidence in 2-0 win over Japan

United States Alejandro Zendejas Mauricio Pochettino Japan Christian Pulisic Max Arfsten Folarin Balogun Cristian Roldan Damion Downs Jack McGlynn
United States' Alejandro Zendejas (17) reacts after scoring during the first half of a friendly soccer match against Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio.
Alejandro Zendejas scored the opening goal for the United States. Photograph: Jeff Dean/AP

This United States’ international window once looked like it could be disastrous. Now, it has been upgraded to strangely uneven.

A much-improved US got goals from Alejandro Zendejas and Folarin Balogun to beat a heavily rotated Japan side 2-0 at Lower.com Field in Columbus. The result lends some credence to Mauricio Pochettino’s insistence that the US’s recent subpar results were all part of a plan with a single target: arriving at the World Cup in peak form.

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