Gyasi Zardes Scores as Christian Pulisic, USA Beat Ecuador 1-0 in Friendly

It wasn't pretty, but the United States men's national team will take it.

In the third friendly of the Gregg Berhalter era, the Americans came away with a 1-0 result and were perhaps a bit fortunate to have broken through Ecuador's defense. The visitors were resolute defensively for the first 80 minutes only to see Gyasi Zardes—who was virtually invisible for the majority of the game—score on a shot that was deflected off an Ecuadorian defender.

To the United States' credit, it was the brighter team Thursday. And while the goal was unlucky for Ecuador, it also came after a dreadful turnover and the high, looping deflection should have been saved by goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez.

The United States continued to look more fluid in attack under Berhalter than the previous regime, with the chance to work in some of the team's younger talent in his system for the first time. Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie all played, and each looked comfortable in the head coach's system, even if the quality chances came few and far between.

Those progressions remain incredibly important for the USMNT, especially if the country is to make any noise while hosting this summer's Gold Cup.

Berhalter's System Will Unlock the Potential of Pulisic and Young USMNT Talent

The United States ran into a resolute Ecuador on Thursday night, with the country's defensive shape proving difficult to crack, but there were flashes of how the young USMNT talent like Pulisic and Adams might thrive in Berhalter's system.

The experiment of Adams on the right, given room to bomb forward from his fullback position, was fascinating to watch. Against certain opponents, the strategy could leave the USMNT vulnerable to the counter, but Ecuador rarely took advantage of that potential space. 

Adams played the role well even if his play didn't directly lead to a goal.

Pulisic was equally held in check by Panama's entrenched setup, but he also showed glimmers of how effective he could be in Berhalter's more organized and ambitious attacking setup. The young winger remains deadly in space and one-on-one situations, often breaking down his marker Thursday night.

Again, he wasn't involved in a goal, but against teams with the least bit of attacking desire, he'll capitalize on the space that the new system should offer him.

Granted, he probably isn't the most natural central attacker, where he played much of Thursday's match by design. That role will remain a work in progress. But the freedom to roam will definitely help unlock more of Pulisici's ability and potential.

All in all, it's hard to draw too many conclusions from Thursday's match.

Ecuador was content to fortify defensively at the expense of offering much going forward, meaning it was hard to read how the Americans would react against a more aggressive team. And while the Americans struggled to create quality chances, they were the more ambitious side and ultimately won the game.

It wasn't a great performance, but it was hardly a poor one. It was a promising performance with obvious room for growth. But that's what the USMNT and its fans desperately crave—growth. There are young players in place like Pulisic and Adams to grow into starring roles. 

Thus far, it appears Berhalter is the right man to oversee that progression. But the real tests will come when the competition stiffens.

What's Next?

The U.S. will face Chile in a friendly June 26. Ecuador faces Honduras the same day.