Sports
USMNT’s second half vs. Ecuador gives positives for Pochettino
AUSTIN, Texas — At first glance, the term “tale of two halves” doesn’t seem appropriate to describe Friday’s 1-1 draw between the U.S. men’s national team and Ecuador. The U.S. had a sizable possession advantage throughout, created good chances, and dominated La Tri for long stretches. But looking from a different angle, it is applicable.
In the first half, even as the U.S. controlled the tempo (64.4% vs. 35.6% possession), it was Ecuador that controlled a key area. They made more of the little plays that mattered. That ability is in line with their recent history. They are a side that have ridden defensive solidity, excellent goalkeeping when needed, and an opportunistic attack to finish second in World Cup qualifying behind reigning champions Argentina. Along the way, La Tri conceded a miniscule five goals in 18 matches. While 14 goals scored isn’t exactly prolific, it proved to be enough to qualify for their sixth-straight World Cup.
In this match, for a half at any rate, Ecuador checked every one of those boxes. The defense was adept at constricting space, deflecting passes, and forcing the U.S. into blind alleys. On the rare occasions when the U.S. broke through, goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez was there to deliver a pair of outstanding saves, including a deflection off the post from a Chris Richards shot in the 26th minute.
In attack, Ecuador punished the U.S. with a transition goal in the 24th minute. U.S. midfielder Aidan Morris came up empty when he tried to jump on a transition pass to Jordy Alcivar, and Ecuador midfielder’s subsequent feed to Enner Valencia allowed the Pachuca striker to get into a one-vs.-one situation against Richards, which he made the most of to fire home a shot just inside Matt Freese’s far post.
That play, full of little victories that turned into a critical sequence, defined the first half.
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In the second half, the U.S. reversed the trend. It defended with more composure, upped the tempo in attack and scored a goal off the press in a play that featured Tim Weah, Tanner Tessmann and Malik Tillman, and ended with Folarin Balogun scoring off Tillman’s centering feed. The U.S. did what it could to find a winner, but couldn’t break through again.
That said, it was a performance that reflected well on the USMNT, even if the scoreline wasn’t entirely satisfying. It showed plenty of dynamism in attack, with Tillman and Weston McKennie using plenty of clever touches to find Balogun in the kind of spaces behind a defense in which he thrives. Defensively, it looked solid in a formation that echoed the approach in the Gold Cup, where it played with a fluid back line that often defended with four players, but allowed left back Max Arfsten to be tilted higher up the field.
But among the more encouraging aspects of the match was the U.S.’s ability to win more of the little battles in the second half, and turn them into critical plays. Establishing that habit is a vital piece to achieving success in the 2026 World Cup next summer. In that kind of competition, the teams are so evenly matched, especially in the knockout rounds, that it is often little details that are the difference between advancing deep into the tournament and getting an early ticket home.
For much of this calendar year, at least in matches involving most of the first-choice squad, the U.S. wasn’t making those little plays. Friday’s match, as well as last month’s encounter against Japan showed a side more able to come out on top in those sequences.
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USMNT hosts Ecuador in friendly, draws 1-1
In case you missed it, the USMNT battled back for a 1-1 draw with Ecuador on Friday.
How the U.S. did that is open to interpretation, but suffice it to say, it’s multifaceted. The U.S is at last playing with the kind of energy and desire that manager Mauricio Pochettino demands, as evidenced by the USMNT winning 53.4% of its duels, 73.3% of tackles and 65.0% of aerial challenges. That creates a platform for more effective attacking play. For Pochettino, that development is almost a relief.
“I’m so happy that we don’t talk about other things like commitment, attitude or things that like this, that normally in the past we were,” the U.S. manager said afterward. “I think that is massive step up … If we are better and we show that we are better than our opponent, we can win. If we don’t show that, it’s because it’s a soccer problem.”
He added: “We showed great mentality and that is in the way that we want to build to the World Cup.”
But this is also a team that looks to be gaining some comfort with Pochettino’s system. It certainly has taken some time — far longer than expected when Pochettino took over the program 12 months ago — but that long sought-after cohesion is now progressing, and the team’s confidence is growing. The U.S. is playing more instinctually, rather than overthinking situations.
“If you’re thinking of, ‘Oh, I have to move here or I have to move here,’ then all of a sudden you start to think more [rather] than just doing,” U.S. defender Tim Ream said. “And now all of a sudden you see it; the ideas are taking hold and so now everyone’s just doing and able to really just give everything at all times.”
Combined with U.S. team’s high level of fitness — long a strong suit of the side — and you have a team that can gain the upper hand and maintain that advantage as well. For Ream, that started to show in the second half, not so much in physically overpowering their opponents, but in slowly wearing them down. It creates a snowball effect where every challenge won feeds the team with more energy.
“We started to make more of the plays. We started to look the fresher team as the game wore on,” he said. “And listen, as someone who has been on the other side of that, you know and you smell that. You’re like, ‘OK, these guys are starting to flag, they’re starting to be a little bit gassed,’ and you actually feel more energized and it allows you to get on top of them more and start making more little plays, being connected better. I think we were connected pretty well in the first half, but I think even closer connections in the second half. I’ll tell you what, it takes a toll on teams, and it did today.”
That improvement, from tactics to mentality to fitness to execution, is even more impressive when you consider who was missing. Alejandro Zendejas, so inspiring against Japan, sat out the match with a knee injury that already has him on his way back to club side Club America; Antonee Robinson, whose return to the USMNT fold figured to give the side a huge boost, didn’t make the gameday roster; Christian Pulisic was reduced to a 17-minute cameo off the bench; Tyler Adams (his partner is about to have a baby) and Sergiño Dest (injured) didn’t even make the roster.
The U.S. is without a doubt a better team with those players. Pochettino has a challenge on his hands in determining who will make his World Cup roster and who will get on the field once that’s decided. But, given where this team has been, and the progress it is making, it’s the kind of puzzle he’ll be more than happy to try to solve.
Lionel Messi drew high praise from President Donald Trump as the Argentine superstar and his Inter Miami team were honoured at the White House on Thursday for winning the MLS Cup last year.
The president said: “It’s my distinct privilege to say what no American president has ever had the chance to say before: ‘Welcome to the White House, Lionel Messi.'”
Trump went on to reveal the affection his 19-year-old son Barron has for Messi.
“My son said, ‘Dad, you know who’s going to be there today?’ I said, ‘No, I got a lot of things going on today,'” Trump said. “He said ‘Messi!’ He’s a big fan of yours. He thinks you’re just a great person. And I think you got to meet a little while ago. So he’s a big soccer fan, but he’s a tremendous fan of yours. And a gentleman named Ronaldo. Cristiano is great. You’re great.”
Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi’s longtime rival in European soccer, attended a White House event with Trump last year.
Regarding Messi’s impact on Inter Miami, Trump said: “This guy won. There was tremendous fanfare, and he won. Leo, you came in and won. It’s hard to do. … You came in and won with all that pressure.”
Wading into the area of soccer history, Trump said to Messi, “You may be better than Pele,” and he asked those in attendance, “Who’s better?”
Trump said of the Inter Miami squad: “What a group of people. We could have a lot of fun with these guys. You can imagine how they celebrate.”
The president singled out Rodrigo De Paul, an Argentine midfielder who scored the go-ahead goal in the Herons’ 3-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS Cup final.
“Where the hell is Rodrigo?” Trump asked, causing De Paul to blush.
The president added: “Do you have any bad-looking players? I like the bad-looking players much better.”
Messi gave Trump a pink signed Inter Miami soccer ball, and club co-owner Jorge Mas and coach Javier Mascherano presented the president with a team jersey and a watch.
Mas said: “It’s our aspiration to continue breaking barriers and putting no limits, to making sure Major League Soccer and Inter Miami are considered among the elite in global football.”
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board has demanded a public apology from a journalist over what it described as “agenda-driven fake news” targeting the character of Pakistan’s national cricketers.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the PCB strongly condemned the broadcast of unverified allegations against a Pakistan player, calling the report baseless and unacceptable.
PCB Warns of Legal Action
The cricket board said the reporter responsible for the news must issue a public apology immediately, warning that failure to do so could lead to strict legal action.
“Agenda-driven fake news targeting the character of our players is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” the PCB said.
The board added that it would take all necessary steps to address what it termed malicious reporting if the apology is not issued promptly.
Controversy Over Report
The controversy began after a local media outlet aired a report alleging that a Pakistani cricketer had been involved in inappropriate behaviour at a hotel, claiming that staff had filed a complaint with team management.
The report also suggested that the player had violated the team’s code of conduct and was fined following a preliminary internal review.
Allegations Denied
However, the PCB dismissed the claims as false and misleading, stating that the news lacked verification.
A representative of the player, Mirza, also rejected the allegations in a social media statement and announced plans to pursue legal action against the media outlet.
He criticised the broadcast as “cheap journalism”, stressing that no media organisation should air unverified reports about national athletes.
The PCB reiterated its commitment to protecting the reputation and dignity of Pakistan’s cricketers against what it described as irresponsible reporting.
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Russell Wilson and Sean Payton spent just one NFL season together, but tension lingered after a rocky year.
And it appears the tension that built up from that tumultuous stretch continues to linger.
Wilson’s interview on the “Bussin’ With the Boys” podcast, recorded before last month’s Super Bowl between Seattle and New England, recently resurfaced.
In the interview, Wilson doubled down on his October comment labeling Payton “classless,” saying he felt slighted by his former coach’s remarks.
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Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos talks to quarterback Russell Wilson on the sideline during an NFL preseason football game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium Aug. 11, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
“[When] you’ve been on the same side or this and that, and I got the same amount of rings as you got, meaning Sean, right?” said Wilson, who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks as Payton did coaching for the New Orleans Saints.
“I got a lot of respect for him as a play-caller, this and that, but to take a shot, I don’t like. I don’t think it’s necessary, you know, I mean, especially when I’m not even on your own team anymore. So, for me, there’s a point in time where you have to, I’ve realized, I’ve stayed quiet for so long. There’s a there’s a time and place where I’m not.
“I know who I am as a competitor, as a warrior, as a champion, too, and, you know, I’ve beaten Sean, too. You know, like we’ve been on the same place and the same thing. And so, it’s not a matter of disrespect. Just don’t disrespect me.”
Sean Payton and Russell Wilson of the Denver Broncos during an a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Empower Field at Mile High Nov. 19, 2023, in Denver, Colo. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
After a rocky one-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024, Wilson joined the New York Giants last offseason. However, he was relegated to a backup role after just three games.
Rookie Jaxson Dart quickly showed promise once he had the chance to start, but his season was briefly derailed by injury. Jameis Winston — not Wilson — stepped in for Dart in a handful of games. Dart threw three touchdowns in a Week 7 matchup with the Broncos, nearly pulling off an upset in what was eventually a close loss.
After the game, Payton said Dart provided a “spark” to the Giants’ offense.
“I was talking to [Giants owner] John Mara not too long ago, and I said, ‘We were hoping that that change would have happened long after our game,'” Payton said.
The New York Giants’ Russell Wilson attempts to escape a sack by Dallas Cowboys defensive end James Houston (53) in the first half of a game Sept. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Payton also said the Broncos would have faced less of a challenge had Wilson been under center.
“Classless … but not surprised,” Wilson responded in a social media post. “Didn’t realize you’re still bounty hunting 15+ years later though the media.”
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Despite last season’s struggles and chatter about his football future, Wilson does not appear ready to call it quits in 2026.
“I wanna play a few more years for sure,” he said. “I think, for me, I’ve always had the vision of getting to 40, at least. I think the game is different. Quarterbacks, we get hit. It’s not, you know, we get hit hard, but … there’s certain rules. I mean, back in the day when I started, bro, it was you just get [clobbered].
“I mean, so I feel like the game allows you to, you know, live a little longer, I guess. I feel healthy. I feel great. But I think, more than anything else is, do you love the game? Do you love studying? Do you love the passion for it all? Do you love the process? Do you love the practice? Do you love — everybody loves the winning part of it, but it’s process. There’s a journey that you got to be obsessed with. And that part I’m obsessed with.”
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