The Americans drew 1-1 vs. the South Americans on Friday night in a friendly, and it looks like Pochettino's experimentation is starting to pay off

Mauricio Pochettino's United States men's national team will get a good challenge from fellow World Cup entrants Ecuador at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas on Friday.

First up will be a friendly against Ecuador, which is ranked No. 24 in the world by FIFA ,while the U.S. dropped to No. 16. Here's what to know about the upcoming friendly: The U.S. and Ecuador will meet on Friday, Oct. 10. Kickoff time is set for 8:30 p.m. ET, 5:30 p.m. PT. Q2 Stadium, home of Austin FC in Texas, is the venue for the action.

The United States Men's National Team drew 1-1 with Ecuador in Austin, Texas, to kick off its October camp in style.

Pulisic missed a penalty for AC Milan, and the match finished 0-0 at the Allianz Stadium. Pulisic was called up for the national team and trained with the rest of the USMNT. Just a day before the friendly against Ecuador, Mauricio Pochettino hinted that Pulisic may be out for the match.

The former Union centerback seems an ideal fit for the three-back defense that Mauricio Pochettino is testing. This month's games vs. Ecuador and Australia offer the chance to make an impression.

Expert recap and game analysis of the United States vs. Ecuador International Friendly game from October 10, 2025 on ESPN.

Cristian Pulisic is not starting for the USMNT for tonight’s friendly match against Ecuador at Q2 Stadium. Christian Pulisic #10 of the United States reacts during the first half against Japan during an International Friendly at Lower.com Field on September 09, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Ben Jackson/USSF/Getty Images)

Ecuador Predicted Lineup vs. USMNT (4-4-1-1): Galíndez; Preciado, Ordóñez, Pacho, Estupiñán; Franco, Alcivar, Vite, Angulo; Páez; Valencia. This has all the makings for a very contested match where scoring opportunities are few and far between.

As co-hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the United States are set to embark on one of the most important months in men's national team history.

Let's take a look at the five most interesting matches you can watch over the International break: Friendly: United States vs. Ecuador, 10:30 p.m. Friendly: United States vs. Australia, 9 p.m.