AUSTIN, Texas — At the very end of Mauricio Pochettino’s roller-coaster first year as coach of the U.S. men’s national team, the Americans might finally be hitting a straight run of track.
No, the USMNT didn’t win Friday’s friendly match here against South America’s second-best team. But after falling behind to Ecuador on a first-half goal, the 2026 World Cup co-hosts showed the heart and determination that had been missing at times during the former Chelsea and Paris Saint Germain manager’s maiden 12 months at the U.S. helm, fighting back from a 1-0 halftime deficit to earn a share of the spoils with Folarin Balogun’s second goal in as many games.
The result doesn’t matter as much as the performance. After a lethargic showing in last month’s 2-0 loss to South Korea in New Jersey, Pochettino’s side has now gone unbeaten against teams in FIFA’s Top 25 for two straight games, the stalemate versus Ecuador coming off a decisive 2-0 victory over Japan to close out the September window.
While it wasn’t a win, Friday was perhaps even more impressive. Ecuador boasts one of the most stout defenses in all of global soccer. They came into Friday’s contest at a sold-out Q2 Stadium having not lost a match in more than a year. They allowed just five goals in 18 World Cup qualifying games in CONMEBOL’s tournament, perhaps the toughest of them all, finishing ahead of mighty Brazil and behind only World Cup holders Argentina. Balogun’s strike was just the second time La Tricolor’s back line had been breached in their last 11 contests.
“When you’re playing a team like Ecuador, from the outside it might seem like they’re not the biggest nation in the world to play, but they are,” U.S winger Tim Weah said afterward. “Finishing second in CONMEBOL is not the easiest.”
“I think it was a good performance from the team,” said fellow 2022 veteran Weston McKennie, who made his first appearance for his country since the Concacaf Nations League debacle in March and ran the show in central midfield with star forward Christian Pulisic limited to a short late cameo off the bench because of a sore ankle. Pulisic entered the field after the Americans had already pulled level.
(Photo by Noah Goldberg/USSF/Getty Images)
Balogun, once again, was superb, despite being matched up against an all-world center back in UEFA Champions League-winning PSG defender Willian Pacho. But it was a total team effort.
Literally.
“You saw the energy that we played with,” said U.S. captain Tim Ream. “That’s something that has been…it’s something that [Pochettino and his staff] have really preached.”
Pochettino inherited a squad that had grown too comfortable after more than five years under former boss Gregg Berhalter. Since being upset by Panama and then Canada in March, the Argentine has gone out of his way to make his players uncomfortable.
“From then,” Pochettino said the day before Friday’s game, “We start to work in a very intense way.”
Now, all the players seem fully on board and committed to the ultimate goal: to do everything possible to make a deep run on home soil at the biggest World Cup in history next summer.
“For me, it’s always been an honor to come in with the national team, and I know for everybody who’s here, they’ve also felt that way,” central defender Chris Richards said. “But I think when it comes to on the field, we kind of have to become hard asses, you know? For too long, we kind of knew we were out playing teams, but we’re trying to do it the pretty way. And no, it’s not always pretty. So I think making sure that you’re able to be nasty when you have to be I think that’s something that we kind of try to adapt to our game.
“Excuse my French, but f*** a friendly,” Richards added with a laugh. “You gotta go out there and do what you need to do.”
Clearly, Pochettino’s influence is beginning to show.
(Photo by Aric Becker/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
“I have so much confidence in Poch and what he’s able to do for us,” Balogun said.
It’s not only about becoming tougher to play against, either.
“He’s given us so many ideas going forward, and added so much structure,” he continued. “I feel like the confidence we have in Poch is obviously showing. And yes, I do think we’re starting to build momentum and get better results against these top sides.”
Pochettino – who made his debut on the U.S. sideline, in Austin, almost exactly a year earlier – has noticed a change within his team, too.
“To play against a team like Ecuador is always important, because they are so competitive, and it helps us to evolve and to develop,” said Pochettino, who deployed a three-man defensive line for the second straight game. “It was a very serious performance, very professional. I think we need to improve in some details. But that is the way that we want to compete.
“We are here talking about actions, concepts, formations,” he added later. “After one year, I’m so, so happy that we aren’t talking about other things like commitment, attitude — things in the past we were talking (about).
“I think that is a massive step.”
Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.
