Folarin Balogun scored in the 71st minute as the United States men’s national team rallied to tie Ecuador 1-1 in a friendly in Austin, Texas, on Friday, as the countdown to the 2026 World Cup continues.
The United States struggled to break down the defense in the second half, but a deep recovery into the Ecuadorian zone put the ball in the foot of Tanner Tessman. He passed to Malik Tillman on the right side of the box and Tillman found Balogun running towards the near post for his seventh goal and second in three matches.
This ended Ecuador’s shutout streak at 520 minutes.
Enner Valencia put Ecuador ahead in the 24th minute with his only shot on goal of the half.
American star midfielder Christian Pulisic, who was doubtful after not training due to an undisclosed injury, came on in the 73rd minute.
Ecuador, ranked 24th in the FIFA world rankings, qualified for the World Cup, as did the USMNT’s next opponent, Australia (whom the Americans face on Tuesday in Commerce City, Colorado). The 2025 schedule ends Nov. 15 against Paraguay in Chester, Pennsylvania, and three days later against Uruguay in Tampa, Florida.
Ecuador goalkeeper Hernan Galindez made the difference in the first half with two athletic saves sandwiching Valencia’s goal.
He made a sharp save on a Balogun break in the eighth minute and extended fully to make a left-handed save on Chris Richards’ shot from the middle of the area on a corner in the 26th as the 16th-placed United States looked to respond to the deficit created by Valencia.
Ecuador had been dominated until John Yeboah collected a gift and sent Valencia down the right channel. His first touch put him close to Richards and in position for a long shot past Matt Freese.
The match was two days shy of the anniversary of Mauricio Pochettino’s debut as United States coach, a 2-0 victory over Panama in Austin. He is 10-7-2.
–Field level media
