Austin (AFP) – Folarin Balogun scored a second-half equaliser as the United States came from behind to snatch a 1-1 draw with Ecuador in a friendly international on Friday. Monaco striker Balogun tucked away a clever finish in the 71st minute after latching on to a perfectly timed pass from Malik Tillman at Austin’s Q2 Stadium in Texas.
Ecuador had taken the lead in the 24th minute when veteran striker Enner Valencia burst clear in a lightning counter-attack by the South Americans. Valencia’s first touch took him away from Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards before he arrowed in a low angled shot past US goalkeeper Matt Freese.
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The Americans, however, responded well to that early setback, and Mauricio Pochettino’s side looked the more threatening team after half-time, getting their reward from Balogun’s equaliser midway through the half. The result and the US performance was full of positives though for US coach Pochettino, who has struggled to build consistent performances since his appointment a year ago. Against Ecuador, one of the most in-form teams in South America who have qualified for the World Cup, Pochettino’s side were well worth a draw.
“It’s good to build momentum,” Balogun said afterwards. “I said before the game, Ecuador is a strong team and we knew it was going to be difficult, but we’re disappointed not to get the win. But I think we were the better side and there were a lot of positives. There was some good combination play and we created a lot of chances. I think I could have been a bit more clinical.”
The US face Australia in a second friendly international on Tuesday in Colorado.
© 2024 AFP
