USMNT vs. Ecuador: Starting XI & Lineup Notes

LINEUP NOTES
USMNT vs. Ecuador, presented by AT&T
International Friendly
Oct. 10, 2025
Q2 Stadium; Austin, Texas
Pre-Game Coverage: 8 p.m. ET on TNT, truTV, Universo, HBO Max, Peacock
Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT, truTV, Universo, HBO Max, Peacock
Radio: Westwood One, Fútbol de Primera
Social Media: @USMNT on X and Instagram; U.S. Soccer on Facebook, The U.S. Soccer App

Tonight’s USMNT Starting XI vs. Ecuador: 24-Matt Freese, 3-Chris Richards, 4-Tanner Tessmann, 8-Weston McKennie, 12-Miles Robinson, 13-Tim Ream (Capt.), 17-Malik Tillman, 18-Max Arfsten, 20-Folarin Balogun, 21-Tim Weah, 23-Aidan Morris

Substitutes: 1-Matt Turner, 25-Chris Brady, 26-Patrick Schulte, 2-Cameron Carter-Vickers, 6-Cristian Roldan, 7-Diego Luna, 9-Patrick Agyemang, 10-Christian Pulisic, 11-Brenden Aaronson, 15-James Sands, 16-Alex Freeman, 19-Haji Wright, 22-Mark McKenzie

USMNT Starting XI Caps (including this match): Tim Ream (78), Weston McKennie (61), Tim Weah (46), Miles Robinson (36), Chris Richards (34), Malik Tillman (26), Folarin Balogun (20), Max Arfsten (13), Matt Freese (10), Aidan Morris (10), Tanner Tessmann (9)The Starting XI averages 30 caps and has an average age of 26 years, 202 days.Having celebrated his 38th birthday on Sunday, Tim Ream becomes the fourth field player and sixth player overall in USMNT history to earn a cap after their 38th birthday. The last field player to do it was 38-year-old Preki Radosavljevic, who collected his final two caps during World Cup qualifying matches against Honduras and Costa Rica in September 2001. A complete list of USMNT players who have earned caps after their 38th birthdays:

Ream captains the USMNT for the 24th time tonight, moving into a tie with Kasey Keller for eighth on the team’s all-time captains list. After a strong start to the season with Middlesbrough, Aidan Morris earns his first cap in nearly a year. The 23-year-old midfielder last appeared at Mexico on Oct. 15, 2024. Weston McKennie and Tanner Tessmann – both FC Dallas products – will see their first National Team action since March 23 in Concacaf Nations League play against Canada, while fellow midfielder Malik Tillman is back in the lineup after last appearing in the Gold Cup Final against Mexico on July 6.Another FC Dallas product, center back Chris Richards scored his second international goal in the team’s last visit to Q2 Stadium earlier this summer, tallying the 63rd minute winner off Sebastian Berhalter’s service in the 1-0 win against Saudi Arabia on June 19. Earning his 10th cap tonight, Matt Freese becomes the 16th goalkeeper in USMNT history to earn double-digit appearances. Freese debuted earlier this year and holds a 5W-3L-1D record with three shutouts in his first nine appearances. With his start tonight, Max Arfsten ties Diego Luna for the team appearance lead in 2025 with 13. Arfsten, who made his international debut in January, has appeared in all but one match this year and is also tied with Luna for the team lead in assists with four. Striker Folarin Balogun collected an assist in his last appearance at Q2 Stadium, providing the helper to Gio Reyna in the 3-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal first leg on Nov. 16, 2023. Defender Miles Robinson starts his first match since the 2-1 loss to Turkiÿe on June 7 in East Hartford, Conn. Both McKennie and Ream started the USA’s last match against Ecuador, a 1-0 win on March 21, 2019, in Orlando. Ream was credited with the assist on Gyasi Zardes’ winning goal. Tonight’s match in Austin takes place almost a year to the day of Mauricio Pochettino’s first in charge of the USMNT, a 2-0 win against Panama on Oct. 12, 2024 also at Q2 Stadium. Only three of tonight’s starters appeared in that match, with Ream and Morris starting and Tillman entering as a substituteAntonee Robinson and Alex Zendejas are not available for selection tonight. In a series that dates back to Nov. 30, 1984, the USMNT is an even 5W-5L-5D in 15 all-time matches against Ecuador. The USA has won each of the last three matches, collecting a 1-0 win on May 25, 2016 in Frisco, Texas, a 2-1 triumph in the Copa America Centenario quarterfinal on June 16, 2016 in Seattle and a 1-0 win on March 21, 2019 in Orlando.