The United States Men’s National Team recorded an important victory in its 2026 FIFA World Cup preparations on Tuesday night, defeating Japan by a 2-0 scoreline in a friendly match at Lower.com Field in Columbus, OH. Known for being the USMNT’s fortress, Columbus did not disappoint, with a sold-out crowd of 20,192 enthusiastic fans fueling the team’s effort and inspiring a confident performance. The USMNT’s record in Columbus improves to 11-1-3 with the result, giving Columbus the highest winning percentage (73.3%) in any city in which the team has played 12 or more times.

Columbus Crew star Max Arfsten took center stage at his home ground, providing the assist for Alex Zendejas’ stunning opener in the 30th minute and commandeering the left flank in his favored wingback position. Arfsten orchestrated the goal by beating his defender on the dribble before launching a curled, left-footed cross from just outside the left side of the 18-yard box into the penalty area. Zendejas met his pass in a turning motion, striking the ball first-time to volley it into the bottom left corner of the net. 

“I just really wanted to play in this game,” Arfsten said. “And once I knew I was, I wanted to do everything I could to make it a memorable night.”

Folarin Balogun doubled the Americans’ lead in the 64th minute, holding off defenders to finish off an attack spurred on by a forward push by Christian Pulisic. Balogun did well to time his run into the box, meeting Pulisic’s through ball and driving a low shot into the bottom right corner of the net with his left foot. 

The win against 17th-ranked Japan marks the 15th-ranked USMNT’s second victory against a Top-25 FIFA-ranked opposition in eight attempts under Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s stewardship, snapping a five-game losing streak versus such competition. The USMNT also snapped a run of five consecutive matches without a clean sheet, as Matt Freese’s six saves and the back five’s sturdy display preserved the shutout.

The win is a welcome change of pace following the side’s disappointing 2-0 loss against South Korea on Saturday in Harrison, NJ, which saw Pochettino’s side face difficulty to capitalize on chances. Arfsten started both matches, playing the full 90 minutes against South Korea and recording an assist in his 66-minute appearance against Japan, which was instrumental in his team’s success. The match marked Arfsten’s 12th international appearance, and his assist marked his fifth goal contribution with the USMNT (1 goal, 4 assists). Arfsten has been a mianstay in the roster across 2025, and deservedly took part in the CONCACAF Nations League and CONCACAF Gold Cup this summer. The Black & Gold’s Sean Zawadzki was initially called up to the roster for both September friendly matches, but suffered a knee injury in training before the South Korea game, ruling him out of action. 

Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino heaped praise on Arfsten post-game, remarking that the wingback has been a welcome addition since his introduction to the team in the USMNT’s January camp.

“He’s a player that we’ve believed in from Day One,” Pochettino said. “His character, his personality, the characteristics, how he is as a player – it’s a combo that we really love.”

“From day one, the chemistry was very good between him and us, and I think his potential is massive,” Pochettino said. “In his performance today, he performed very well and [against] South Korea, he performed, and in the Gold Cup…Of course, I think he can still improve; he is still young, but he’s doing fantastic.”

The U.S. faces its next pre-World Cup tests next month, in another series of friendly fixtures against Ecuador on October 10th and Australia on October 14th. 

The Black & Gold returns to action on Saturday, facing Atlanta United on the road at 7:30 p.m. ET.