The USA faces Ecuador in a 2025 international friendly that is set to be an interesting match. Although it’s just an exhibition, it holds significant importance, especially for Ecuador. Additionally, there are important developments for the U.S. team, particularly the question: why is Christian Pulisic not in the starting lineup today?
For the U.S. men’s national team, facing Ecuador, a strong and consistent CONMEBOL team, comes at a crucial time as they prepare for the 2026 World Cup. Ecuador has recently completed a successful World Cup qualifying campaign, making this match particularly valuable for the Americans.
Pulisic’s absence from the starting team was somewhat anticipated. The head coach, Mauricio Pochettino, revealed just a day before the match that Pulisic and a few others had not trained. Alex Zendejas has also been ruled out for the game against Ecuador.
Pochettino stated that both Pulisic and Antonee Robinson were held out of training to avoid any potential injuries. “I need to communicate that we have some issues with players like Christian [Pulisic], who didn’t train today, and Antonee Robinson,” Pochettino explained. “We need to assess tomorrow if they will be available or not.”
Christian Pulisic of the United States.
Why is Christian Pulisic not starting vs Ecuador?
Christian Pulisic enters the U.S. men’s national team’s friendly against Ecuador as the recent Serie A Player of the Month, but he won’t be able to show that performance from the start.
The American captain will begin the game on the bench against the South American team heading to the World Cup. Pochettino had previously indicated possible fitness issues for Pulisic and other key players, making his absence from the starting lineup less surprising, though still disappointing.
Pulisic remains an option on the bench, but it’s uncertain if Pochettino will bring him in during the game. He could still take to the field in the second half, depending on how the match goes and what the team requires.