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USMNT vs. Ecuador: Your Running Commentary

Photo by Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports
Photo by Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports

Coming off of their 3-1 win over Puerto Rico on Sunday, the U.S. Men’s National Team will take on a more difficult opponent Wednesday night when they face Ecuador.

The U.S. roster will be expanded against their CONMEBOL counterpart, now including MLS players to go along with the European and Mexican-based members. Captain Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey and Gyasi Zardes will each figure into the team’s starting attack, while fans will look for 17-year-old winger Christian Pulisic to make an appearance.

Geoff Cameron’s absence at center back gives D.C. United defender Steve Birnbaum the starting nod next to John Brooks. Birnbaum will be looking for a strong performance against a quick, technical Ecuadorian squad as an audition in the event that Cameron can’t start at Copa America.

If you will be watching today’s soccer, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action.

Comments

  1. The comments section here confirms my belief that US fans are just a bunch of biaches. Get a life y’all and learn to support your team.

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  2. First clean sheet against non-Concacaf team since Sept. 2014. 7 of 11 starters for Ecuador started in the 2-0 victory at Argentina in October. Haters keep hating, it was a good win and would have been a good 0-0 draw for that matter.

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    • Knives were being sharpened in the first half. After the 2nd half it will be hard to hate. I guess there’s always the “friendlies don’t count (except when we lose to Brazil)” approach though?

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    • i thought we played well overall, but i’d point out that we looked pretty poor in the first half, didn’t start taking over the game until both teams started making subs, and scored our only goal after ecuador’s fifth sub; so not sure i’d put too much weight behind the starting lineups.

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    • looks good to me. jones is going to get forward in any case–might as well give him a head start. not too sure about wood on the wing, but i think he and dempsey would be interchanging a lot anyway.

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      • Makes up in work rate what he gives up in skill for me. Wouldn’t mind him on the right and Pulisic on the left.

  3. The us was so much better with Bradley at the 6. No knock on beckerman who had serviceable game but bradley has better vision and touch on the long pass and it allows you to get some of the more skillful players on the field

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  4. my head will explode when the Klinsmann spin starts. Facts are, his starters did squat and that means he picked the wrong people…again

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    • it was a friendly. you don’t pick the players that give you the best chance of winning, necessarily; you pick the players you want to take a look at.

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      • So then by your logic, the objective for tonight’s match was never to win it. Do I understand you correctly?

      • winning or losing shouldn’t be a part of the equation at all. if we win, great–that could mean the players played well. but friendlies are about being able to take a look at players in a low-pressure environment; that, and raking in the cash.

  5. Pulisic has been awesome, and the commentators agree.

    Great finish by Nagbe and a great play by Yedlin. 1-0 for US. They played a key better second half.

    Reply

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