With under a year to go until the 2026 World Cup, the United States will use an international friendly with Ecuador in Texas on October 11 to sharpen their squad ahead of next summer’s finals.
Both nations have already booked places for the tournament, so this fixture is about fine-tuning roles, testing options and giving fringe players a chance to stake a claim.
As co-hosts with Mexico and Canada, the USA can afford to experiment and focus on selection as much as results.
Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure has produced mixed outcomes since he arrived last September – 11 wins from 18 matches – and the recent window brought a 2-0 win over Japan followed by a 2-0 reverse to South Korea.
History favours the hosts: the USMNT have beaten Ecuador in each of the last three meetings and are unbeaten in their last four clashes. Across 15 meetings the sides are evenly matched overall, five wins apiece and five draws – which suggests this friendly could swing either way.
Ecuador have been on the rise under Sebastian Beccacece, who was appointed before the US named Pochettino.
The Argentine has built a disciplined, defensively solid team. In his first 12 matche,s Ecuador picked up five wins and suffered only one defeat, conceding just two goals in that stretch.
La Tri finished second in CONMEBOL qualifying behind Argentina despite a three-point deduction, and they closed their campaign with a notable home win over the reigning world champions
Team news for USA v Ecuador
Mauricio Pochettino has selected a strong group for the friendlies, with Christian Pulisic leading the attack after a purple patch of form for AC Milan.
Pulisic has been heavily involved in goals lately, nine goal contributions in his last 10 appearances, and will be one of the key players to watch in Arlington.
Antonee Robinson and Weston McKennie return to bolster the squad, while Haji Wright and Aidan Morris have been included after eyeing spots in the World Cup roster.
Johnny Cardoso misses out with an ankle problem, and veteran goalkeeper Matt Turner is recalled to the national setup.
Ecuador will be without midfield engine Moises Caicedo, who has been given time off, while Piero Hincapie and Gonzalo Plata are also absent.
That said, their defence remains formidable with Willian Pacho and Pervis Estupinan among the back-line options.
Up front, Enner Valencia is expected to lead the line after scoring six times during qualifying and finishing as Ecuador’s top marksman.
Expected line-ups for USA v Ecuador
USA: Turner; Freeman, Richards, Ream, Robinson; McKennie, Roldan; Pulisic, Zendejas, Arfsten; Balogun
Ecuador: Galinity; Ordinarily, Torres, Pacho, Stupid; Vite, Franco; Pay, Yeboah, Mind; Enerry of Valencia
How to watch USA v Ecuador: TV channel, online stream
The friendly takes place on Friday, October 11, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with a kick-off at 8:00pm local time (01:00 BST).
In the United States the fixture is typically carried by national broadcasters such as FOX Sports and Telemundo, with streaming available on services like FuboTV and Peacock or via the official broadcaster apps.
The stats for USA v Ecuador
- The USA have won each of the last three meetings with Ecuador and are unbeaten in their last four head-to-head fixtures
- Across 15 encounters the record is balanced, with both teams claiming five wins and five matches finishing level
- Under Mauricio Pochettino the USA have lost four of their last 10 games in all competitions
- Ecuador have lost just once in the 12 matches since Sebastian Beccacece took charge
- The three conceded only two goals in Beccacece’s first 12 games at the helm
- Ecuador have won only one of their last 10 away matches, a stat that underlines their mixed record on the road
Prediction
Ecuador’s defensive organisation under Beccacece makes them tough to break down, and their away record suggests they will be hard to defeat. The USA have plenty of attacking talent and the home advantage, but inconsistency means this is likelier to finish level than with a clear winner.
Prediction: USA 1-1 Ecuador
