On Friday night, all eyes will be on Landon Donovan as he suits up for his country for the last time. The United States' friendly against Ecuador will be a celebration of his career and an excellent sendoff, but it's unlikely that Jurgen Klinsmann sees this as the only purpose of this match.
5 things to watch for in USA vs. Ecuador
Landon Donovan will be the focus of a tribute match on Friday night, but Jurgen Klinsmann will have other purposes for playing this friendly against Ecuador.
Matej Divizna
We can, and will, gush all day about what Donovan meant to American soccer. But there will be other interesting things going on in this friendly from an American perspective, and it's probably going to be an important match for a lot of players going forward. Klinsmann is testing out a wide variety of players between now and the Gold Cup, deepening his player pool, and he'll do plenty of experimenting in both this game and the upcoming match against Honduras.
Here’s what to keep an eye out for on Friday night, outside of Donovan’s performance.
1. How’s the Americans’ B-team defense?
The entire starting back four from the World Cup has been left out of this team, giving four World Cup backups and three other players a chance to prove themselves for the United States. Because this is a younger group -- Michael Orozco, 28, is the oldest and most on the fringe of the bunch -- players who play well in friendlies between now and the Gold Cup might have an opportunity to cement a first team spot for an entire cycle.
While the spotlight will be on Landon Donovan in what is basically a tribute match, it’s actually meaningful for the defense.
2. Mix Diskerud, holder?
Alfredo Morales is the only true defensive midfielder in this U.S. squad, and he probably won't be playing for 90 minutes. For at least some period of this game, there's a good chance that Mikkel Diskerud -- a sometimes No. 10, sometimes box-to-box midfielder -- will be playing as a makeshift version of Kyle Beckerman. Whether he's suited to the role is anyone's guess, but we might get an idea about his capabilities on Friday, unless Tim Ream gets a run in the center.
3. Will Joe Gyau’s upward trajectory continue?
Joe Gyau was a massive prospect a few years ago, but some U.S. soccer fans had already started to write him off after his failure to make an impact at Hoffenheim and for the Olympic qualifying team. But lo and behold, he’s done very well in Borussia Dortmund’s B team this year, earned his first team debut for them and was excellent in his USMNT debut earlier in the fall. Julian Green’s absence from this team means he’s almost certain to get another start. If he puts in another great performance, we’ll be seeing a lot more of him going forward.
4. Can Jozy show us something? Anything?
Things are so dire for Jozy Altidore at Sunderland that he’s openly admitting he will leave in January if he does not get more opportunities. Based on his play for the club and how much better both Connor Wickham and Steven Fletcher look at the moment, he seems unlikely to get that opportunity. This game and subsequent friendlies could serve as an advertisement for potential January suitors, of which Altidore probably has none outside MLS at the moment.
5. How good is this next generation of Ecuadorian midfielders?
And one for the away team, since this isn't all about the United States. Most of Ecuador's most experienced central midfielders and wingers have been left home, with Segundo Castillo and Christian Noboa being the only veterans that return from the World Cup squad. The other six midfielders in their squad are 23 or younger, and two are uncapped. Carlos Gruezo, in particular, looks like a budding star and should get a chance to impress on Friday.
Match Date/Time: Friday, 7 p.m. local, 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Rentschler Field, Hartford, Connecticut
TV: ESPN (U.S. - English), UniMás (U.S. - Spanish), Gamavision (Ecuador)
Online: Watch ESPN, ESPN3, Univision Deportes En Vivo (U.S.)
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