Balogun's clinical finishing earns USMNT a draw in 9/10 showing

A second-half equalizer from Folarin Balogun earned the U.S. men's nationalist team a 1-1 draw against Ecuador successful Austin, Texas connected Friday night.

Despite the location broadside uncovering themselves down 1-0 astatine Q2 Stadium aft a 24th-minute extremity from Enner Valencia, the U.S. impressed with its attacking momentum successful the aboriginal stages of the exhibition. Eager to change the scoreline, the USMNT finished the archetypal fractional with 66% possession and six shots, but remained scoreless by the midway interruption aft immoderate clever saves from Ecuador goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez.

In the 2nd half, the Americans continued their unit successful the last third.

Coupled with the introductions of immoderate attack-minded names specified arsenic Diego Luna and Alex Freeman, the U.S. ramped up its efforts, yet starring to Balogun's equalizer successful the 71st minute. Seeking a win, manager Mauricio Pochettino past brought connected Christian Pulisic and Haji Wright.

Nonetheless, Ecuador impressed with their antiaircraft poise and held onto the 1-1 scoreline by the last whistle.

Looking up successful their ongoing FIFA World Cup preparation, Pochettino and his U.S. roster volition adjacent retired this month's planetary interruption with different affable connected Tuesday against Australia.

Manager standing retired of 10

Mauricio Pochettino, 7 -- It's not a triumph and it's not perfect to beryllium down 1-0 truthful aboriginal on, but Pochettino did good to make a dynamic attack with plentifulness of speedy buildups successful his 3-4-2-1 formation. Were it not for immoderate highlight-worthy stops from Galíndez, the USMNT could person arguably been the ones that took the archetypal pb successful the friendly. It's the small details that Pochettino volition request to enactment connected with his roster, which volition request to beryllium much businesslike with their lengthy database of dead-ball situations and possession, but against a unsafe opponent, Friday was a satisfactory performance.

Player ratings (0-10; 10 = best; 5 = average)

GK Matt Freese, 6 -- There shouldn't beryllium excessively overmuch disapproval for Valencia's goal, but successful a lucifer wherever tiny details were the difference, Freese was incapable to tighten up successful 1 of the astir important moments of the friendly. That said, helium provided a bully precocious assertion and prevention successful the 2nd half.

DF Tim Ream, 7 -- Reliable with his duels connected the crushed and successful the air, the 38-year-old skipper worked good successful the altered antiaircraft setup. At the moment, a starting spot is his to lose.

DF Chris Richards, 5 -- How bash you complaint a defender who was a measurement down Valencia for the goal, but besides astir scored disconnected a country minutes later? An up-and-down crippled for the subordinate of the backline that was shown a yellowish but was besides a menace disconnected corners.

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