USMNT Prepares for 2025 Japan Friendly After Recent Defeats

As the 2026 World Cup approaches, the United States Men's National Team (USMNT) is struggling to find form, having lost six matches in 2025, including a recent 2-0 defeat to South Korea. Next up for the USMNT is a challenging friendly against Japan, a team that has already qualified for the World Cup and aims to improve on its previous performances, notably reaching the Round of 16 four times. Japan, coached by Hajime Moriyasu since 2018, has a strong European-based roster including Premier League standouts and has shown technical excellence and organization in recent tournaments. Despite the USMNT's current struggles under Mauricio Pochettino, the upcoming match against Japan at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego represents a critical test ahead of the tournament. Japan's ambition is highlighted by statements from key players like Wataru Endo and Daichi Kamada who express goals of winning the World Cup, reflecting the nation's growing confidence after impressive performances at recent World Cups. This match underscores the contrasting trajectories of the two teams: the US striving to recover and Japan pushing to become a serious contender on the world stage.