USMNT vs. South Korea Odds, Predictions and Picks

• The USMNT have had a turbulent 2025 ahead of next summer’s World Cup

• South Korea have already qualified for the tournament in the Americas next year

• Will the USMNT come out on top in this international friendly on Saturday?

USMNT vs. South Korea Odds

The odds for USMNT vs. South Korea can be found in the odds table below.

The following odds are taken from bet365 sportsbook. Use our promo code WSN365 at bet365 to claim your bonus: Bet $5, Get $300 in Bonus Bets Win or Lose.

My +240 Pick for USMNT vs. South Korea 

Both the USMNT and South Korea look set to experiment in this international friendly. A draw would not be bad result for either, and we expect the score to finish level.

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USMNT Must Start to Build Momentum Ahead of Next Summer

World Cup 2026 is just over nine months away and there is still plenty of work for the USA to do. While the country is only one of three co-hosts next summer, the bulk of the matches will be staged in America and it feels like their tournament to all intents and purposes. As such, there is an expectation that the USA will at least be competitive in familiar surroundings.

The decision to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as the new head coach of the national team last year was solely down to 2026. Equally, the former Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea manager would probably not have taken the job were the upcoming World Cup being staged elsewhere.

Pochettino is approaching his first anniversary in the job. It is fair to say the 12 months since his arrival have contained a fair few ups and downs. The USMNT lost to Panama in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Nations League, before going down to Canada in the third-place play-off. Back-to-back friendly defeats by Turkey and Switzerland followed soon after.

The USMNT fared better over the summer, reaching the final of the Gold Cup on home soil. They lost the final 2-1 to Mexico, but finishing as runners-up was not a bad outcome given the USA essentially used a second-string roster for the competition. 

The USMNT do not need to qualify for the World Cup, so there are a string of friendlies on the horizon for the rest of 2025. A double-header against South Korea and Japan is planned for the September international break, with games against Ecuador and Australia arranged for next month.

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South Korea Aiming to Make an Impression at World Cup 2026

South Korea have booked their spot at next summer’s 48-team event in the USA, Canada and Mexico. In the second round of the qualification process in Asia, they topped their group ahead of China, Thailand and Singapore. In the third round, they finished first in a group which also contained Jordan, Iraq, Oman, Palestine and Kuwait - and that was enough to see them through to World Cup 2026.

South Korea are World Cup regulars in the modern era. They have participated in every edition since 1986. South Korea famously finished fourth at the 2002 edition which they co-hosted alongside Japan, while they made it through to the round of 16 in 2022. 

Paulo Bento departed as the manager of the national team after that tournament in Qatar, with Jurgen Klinsmann appointed as his successor. It did not go well for the former USMNT boss, who lasted for a year before being fired by the soccer association. South Korea have now gone back to a homegrown coach in the form of Hong Myung-bo.

The Taeguk Warriors, who will face Mexico three days after this meeting with the USMNT, have Son Heung-min to call upon in this international break. Son now plies his trade for LAFC in MLS, and while he is probably past his best, the Tottenham legend still carries a threat. Lee Kang-in of PSG is another Korean player to keep an eye on, as is Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae.

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Can the USMNT Come Out on Top Against South Korea?

“With about 10 months left until the World Cup, every match from here and on will be important for us," South Korean manager Hong said before the trip to the USA. “Results are obviously important, but we also want to keep experimenting and see which players will be competitive for us come next June. And we will get to play good opponents this time.”

That is potentially good news for the USMNT, who will not necessarily be facing a full-strength South Korea side on Saturday. Hong has made it clear that World Cup 2026 is his main focus, rather than the outcome of matches like this.

Of course, that is also true for the Stars and Stripes, but there is a greater need for them to get some positive results on the road to next summer’s tournament. Pochettino has resisted the temptation to name his strongest possible squad for the games against South Korea and Japan, however.

Indeed, while Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun and Sergino Dest will all be involved in the coming days, the likes of Weston McKennie, Matt Turner, Yunus Musah and Gio Reyna are absent. That makes it harder for the USMNT to beat South Korea, so a tie looks like a smart selection at the odds available.

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How to Watch USMNT vs. South Korea

• Teams: USMNT vs. South Korea

• Location: Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison, USA

• Date and Time: Saturday 6th September, 5pm ET

• How to Watch: Peacock Premium