AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Folarin Balogun scored in the 71st minute, offsetting Enner Valencia's first-half goal, and the United States tied Ecuador 1-1 in a friendly on Friday night.
Balogun scored for the second straight game, his seventh goal in 20 international appearances, after Tim Weah intercepted a clearance and passed to Tanner Tessmann, who sent the ball wide to Malik Tillman.
Tillman crossed where Balogun got in front of Joel Ordóñez and from
just inside the 6-yard box redirected the ball past goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez.
The 16th-ranked Americans remained with one win in their last eight games against top 25 opponents since March 2024, 2-0 last month over a mostly second-string Japan roster.
The U.S. plays Australia on Tuesday at Commerce City, Colorado, and faces Paraguay and Uruguay next month, then has only a pair of March friendlies before coach Mauricio Pochettino calls in players for his pre-World Cup training camp.
Pochettino returned to Austin, where he coached his first U.S. match on Oct. 12 last year. The U.S. is 11-7-1 since he took over.
No. 24 Ecuador, which finished second behind Argentina in South American World Cup qualifying, extended its team-record unbeaten streak to 12 games, including seven draws.
La Tri is at Mexico on Tuesday.
Valencia scored when he touched a through pass from John Yeboah wide of Chris Richards, broke in on goal with two more touches and shot just past Matt Freese's outstretched right hand and inside the far post. Valencia, who turns 36 next month, is Ecuador's goals leader with 48 in 101 international appearances.
Christian Pulisic, the top U.S. player, didn't start because of a sore ankle and entered in the 73rd minute.
Max Arfsten on the left and Weah on the right started as wing backs in a 3-4-3 formation. Five days after his birthday, defender Tim Ream became the third non-goalkeeper to play for the U.S. at 38 or older after Ed Murphy in 1969, Gordon Bradley in 1973 and Preki Radosavljević in 2001. Ream was joined by Richards and Miles Robinson on the back line.
Left back Antonee Robinson and forward Alex Zendejas did not dress.
___
AP MLS: https://apnews.com/hub/major-league-soccer
