The USMNT puts in a performance against Ecuador that shows Mauricio Pochettino’s plan is making progress

Austin, Texas – The day before the US men’s national team’s friendly match against Ecuador, coach Mauricio Pochettino wasted no time reminding everyone that his focus right now is on performance, not results. He had a game that summed up exactly that feeling on Friday night at Q2 Stadium, as the USMNT came from behind and settled for a 1-1 draw, showing some real signs of progress and giving credence to Pochettino’s idea that the team is, finally, heading in the right direction.

Pochettino’s first year in charge was marked by unimpressive – and at times uninspiring – defeats, but as he celebrates his first year in charge, US Soccer has replaced a sense of doom and gloom with some downright normalcy. In a sense, they were just the latest victims of Ecuador’s scandalous defensive approach that saw them finish second in South America’s World Cup qualifiers despite scoring just 14 goals in 18 matches, with Valencia’s 35-year-old (or ageless) Ener scoring one from a quick counter-attack just before the half-hour mark. A combination of flaws in the US squad didn’t help matters, as new faces Tanner Theisman and Aidan Morris were unable to raise their stock during their time in midfield. None of the USMNT’s woes on Friday night seemed unusual for a team that still has eight months to go before its World Cup opener.

As Pochettino celebrates the anniversary, the imprint he has begun to leave on the team is clear and was on full display against Ecuador. While the newfound competitiveness for playing time was evident from the moment the roster dropped, Pochettino’s version of the USMNT has a tactical flexibility that the previous version did not have under his predecessor Gregg Berhalter. The back three that made their debut in last month’s friendly matches against South Korea and Japan against Ecuador have returned, this time with some new modifications. Tim Weah was given his first rep at right-back under Pochettino, a role he is familiar with from his experiences with the club at Marseille and Juventus before that, even if he described the job as a “fake wing-back” in a pre-match interview with broadcasters. New players got the chance to test their performances in the World Cup squad too – as well as Tessmann and Morris, Myles Robinson and Mark McKenzie featured in a back three alongside Chris Richards and Tim Ream.

The experience was a mixed bag. Tessman, Morris and Robinson did not make the most of their opportunities, and remained on the perimeter of the USMNt for at least a few more days. Even if these three did not rise to the occasion, there was a clear theme at play. Every time the USMNT had the ball – which was often in a game in which they had roughly 65% ​​possession – the emphasis was on attacking as quickly and coherently as possible. Weah’s duties as a ‘false’ wing-back were central here, while Malik Tilleman continued to prove his value as one of Pochettino’s top scorers by providing the assist for the USMNT’s second-half goal. The credit ultimately goes to Folarin Balogun, who has scored two goals and one assist in his three games under Pochettino so far, reasserting himself once again as Pochettino’s preferred No.9 man.

This version of the team felt incomplete in part because Christian Pulisic (sub), Anthony Robinson (rest) and Tyler Adams (who is awaiting the birth of his child) were not in the starting lineup, which was not surprising at this point. There are still questions to be answered about what the USMNT can do if these players are not on the field, especially Adams, who has been an unquestioned anchor in the midfield for years now. The pieces of the puzzle look like they are finally starting to come together, although Pochettino’s big bet on extensive experience in his first year in the job may be starting to pay off in the process.