Mauricio Pochettino, the coach of the United States, lauded his players’ determination after they secured a 1-1 draw against Ecuador in a lively friendly match on Friday. The equalizer came from Folarin Balogun</ in the 71st minute.
Pochettino remarked on his team’s second-half performance, saying, “We were courageous in our pursuit to attack and find space.” The match, held at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, tested the U.S. against Ecuador’s physical style. “Despite the challenges, we managed to exploit the gaps and put them under pressure,” he added.
Pochettino noted, “We showed improvement in the second half, dominating various aspects of the game.”
After falling behind to Ecuador’s Enner Valencia‘s goal in the 24th minute, the U.S. pressed for an equalizer, maintaining a strong attacking presence in what was a tense match against a South American side that hasn’t lost since September 2024.
In the second half, the U.S. elevated their intensity, culminating in Balogun’s goal, assisted by Malik Tillman.
“I’m thrilled. A striker always needs to find the back of the net, and Balogun’s work ethic is exceptional; he is always involved in every aspect of the game, both with and without the ball,” Pochettino expressed regarding the AS Monaco forward. “I’m very pleased with his performance.”
Balogun’s impressive display is a positive signal for Pochettino, especially with other player availability uncertain for their next friendly against Australia on Tuesday. Notably, Alejandro Zendejas will not be on the field after suffering a knee injury during training, necessitating a return to Mexico City.
Pochettino commented, “It’s unfortunate news about Zendejas, as he is leaving tonight due to a minor issue in the back of his knee. It’s not serious, but he won’t be available for the upcoming match and needs to return to his club.”
Additionally, Fulham’s Antonee Robinson, making his return to the national team after May surgery, was also unavailable for the match.
“We need to evaluate Antonee’s situation as he wasn’t available today. We’ll assess his condition tomorrow to see if he can train,” Pochettino said. He also remarked that AC Milan‘s Christian Pulisic isn’t fully fit after dealing with an ankle issue.
Pulisic played 17 minutes off the bench against Ecuador, and Pochettino said they will “assess his availability for Tuesday.”
Currently, the U.S. has one win, one draw, and one loss since their defeat in the summer’s Gold Cup final against Mexico.
After the October international window, Pochettino and the U.S. will face Paraguay and Uruguay in two friendlies slated for November to conclude the year.