USMNT vs. Ecuador: Three keys as Antonee Robinson, Christian Pulisic and USA soccer aim for statement win

On Friday, the United States will host Ecuador in Austin, Texas, with a chance to put together a small winning streak. As the World Cup draws closer, Mauricio Pochettino is getting closer to figuring out his core squad, with players such as Antonee Robinson, Patrick Agyemang and Tanner Tessemann all making a return to the squad during this international break. There’s room to improve, but there’s also hope as a formation shift to a back three facing Japan helped lead to a win versus a (rotated) FIFA top 20 team.

In facing Ecuador, Pochettino will have another chance to lead the team to a signature win, but the attack will need to come into the tie prepared, as Ecuador have only allowed five goals in 18 matches played in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying. But here’s how the USMNT can break through that defense.

Keep the back three

While it may not be the primary formation for the USMNT moving forward, with Tyler Adams out of the squad due to the expected birth of his child, taking a defense-first approach isn’t a bad thing. Aidan Morris is back in the squad, and the Middlesbrough man may feature in midfield, but he is more of a box-to-box presence than a standard defensive midfielder. That’s good to fit into the squad, but it’s something that could work well next to Tessemann or Weston McKennie. With Robinson’s return, while he may not be fit to play a full 90 minutes, he gives the USMNT a different dimension going both ways for the team.

Robinson has stated that he isn’t 100% but this will be an opportunity for him to work with the national team and regain fitness. In his first appearance under Pochettino, Robinson operated as an inverted fullback, pushing the attack forward, and that’s a role that could continue with Pochettino building from his fullbacks during his time in charge of the national team. Doing that can help balance the attack while also helping break down Ecuador’s strong defense. Robinson stated that there hasn’t been a discussion about how many minutes he will play during this camp, but any level of influence from the Fulham man will be much appreciated.

Ride the hot hand

Rest during the summer may have paid off for Christian Pulisic, starting the season on a high note for Milan. Pulisic has six goals and two assists in only eight appearances, and that form translating to the national team will be critical to their success. Not training on Thursday, though Pochettino didn’t say why, there is a chance that Pulisic won’t start facing Ecuador, but that doesn’t mean that he isn’t a key player in the match if he’s available. 

Pulisic was able to grab his first goal contribution of 2025 for the USMNT with his assist against Japan, but he still seeks his first goal of the year for the USMNT. Robinson’s return will also help Pulisic due to the left-hand side of the pitch returning to normal. With the World Cup closing in, it’s important that Pochettino gets players who he views as his top options together as much as possible, and in the attack, players like Pulisic have separated themselves from the pack.

Try new things

It’s important to win, but this is also a friendly where Pochettino can drop guys into a pressure cooker and see what happens. Mark McKenzie opened up on how Pochettino wants him to play like Tottenham defender Cristian Romero, so this is a good chance to see if that can happen. With the defense unsettled ahead of the World Cup, figuring out if a player like McKenzie — who has had his moments with the USMNT but never looked settled — can perform with pressure on the line is important. The same goes for midfield, where Pochettino can mix and match first-team players with guys like Morris who are looking to break through. Seeing players return from the 2022 World Cup squad to the USMNT is a good start, but for this team to advance past the round of 16, they’ll need fresh faces to step up, and camps like this one are where Pochettino can figure out who he can really trust.

How to watch USMNT vs. Ecuador, odds

• Date: Friday, Oct. 10 | Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Q2 Stadium — Austin, Texas
• TV: TNT | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
• Odds: USMNT +125; Draw +220; Ecuador +230

Predicted XI

USA: Matt Freese, Antonee Robinson, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Alex Freeman, Weston McKennie, Aidan Morris, Tim Weah, Folarin Balogun, Christian Pulisic