The U.S. men’s national team is back in action to kick off the penultimate international window of 2025, as they take on Ecuador at Austin FC’s Q2 Stadium before looking ahead to a matchup with Australia.
Against Ecuador, the USMNT faces the second-place finishers in South American World Cup qualifying and the 24th-ranked team in the world, providing Mauricio Pochettino’s side with a strong test.
While Pochettino’s first year with the USMNT saw some less-than-ideal outcomes, the Argentine manager may have found a new lease on success with his adjustment to a 3-4-3 formation, which led to a 2–0 win over Japan.
It would be easy to stick the Stars and Stripes into its usual 4-3-3, but that has not garnered results, leaving Pochettino with a major decision to make for Friday’s clash.
Here’s what the USMNT’s XI could look like against Ecuador.
