The U.S. men's national team carried on its momentum from the September window with an impressive 1-1 draw with Ecuador on Friday.

Mauricio Pochettino's men controlled long stretches of the match against a strong opponent, looking dynamic with the ball and attacking with purpose.

The USMNT did get punished in the 24th minute when Enner Valencia opened the scoring after a series of breakdowns. But the home side kept pushing at Q2 Stadium in Austin, and Folarin Balogun's 71st-minute equalizer was no less than it deserved.

Let's take a look at how the USMNT performed in an encouraging performance in Texas.

As a reminder, here’s the Pro Soccer Wire player rating scale:

  • 1: Abysmal. Literally any member of our staff would have been been able to play at this level.
  • 6: Adequate. This is our base score.
  • 10: Transcendent, era-defining performance. This is Carli Lloyd vs. Japan in the 2015 World Cup final.

GK: Matt Freese - 6.5

Didn't have a whole lot to do on the night, as all three of his saves were routine. Could do little on Valencia's goal. Perhaps his best play of the night was a nice diving claim on a dangerous cross from the left in the 76th minute.

LCB: Tim Ream - 6

Was a quiet night on the defensive side for Ream, which was a product of the USMNT's control of the match. The 38-year-old was again impressive on his passing, going 55 for 60 and keeping the ball progressing when he could.

CB: Chris Richards - 5.5

An eventful game for the Crystal Palace man — and not always in a positive way. Was spun and then blown past by Valencia on Ecuador's goal. Just minutes later would have had an equalizer were it not for a spectacular diving save by Hernán Galíndez off the post.

Playing in the center of a back three, Richards was easily the most involved of the USMNT back line with a game-high 12 defensive actions including nine clearances.

RCB: Miles Robinson - 6

Robinson looked mostly comfortable on the right side of a back three, stifling Ecuador with his positioning and reading of the game. Put himself in jeopardy late in the first half when he was spun by Kendry Páez and hauled down the teenager for a yellow card.

LWB: Max Arfsten - 5.5

Arfsten wasn't quite as effective in his more natural wingback spot compared to the match against Japan, but did get involved early and often in the USMNT attack. Often found himself stymied when going forward, however, and didn't connect on any of his four crosses.

CM: Aidan Morris - 6.5

Morris was combative and effective teaming up with Tanner Tessmann as the two holding midfielders, making a case for more minutes in his first USMNT game in a year. The Middlesbrough man won a game-high eight of his 11 duels and drew a game-high four fouls. On the downside, his passing wasn't always clean and his gamble to step up didn't pay off on the sequence that led to Ecuador's goal.

CM: Tanner Tessmann - 6.5

Tessmann, like Morris, made a strong impression on his return to the USMNT picture. His slipped pass to Tillman was crucial in the build-up to Balogun's goal, and he displayed a strong overall range of passing. The Lyon midfielder wasn't afraid to get stuck in, either, winning back possession with tackles several times.

RWB: Tim Weah - 5.5

Weah was lively and active playing as a wingback, but his final product was lacking on the night.

CAM: Weston McKennie - 6

With Morris and Tessmann behind him, McKennie had the freedom to make runs forward from central midfield and join attacks. The Juventus midfielder was full of energy and brought some much-needed creativity into midfield, combining well with teammates.

CAM: Malik Tillman - 7

The USMNT's attacking engine in midfield, pulling the strings and connecting with teammates to set up chances. His six key passes were easily a game high and his assist to Balogun was expertly timed.

FW: Folarin Balogun - 7.5

Balogun did everything you'd want from a lone striker. The forward was a constant threat making runs in behind Ecuador's back line, nearly scoring with multiple shots while setting up teammates for good chances. His hold-up play was again solid and he got his goal with 20 minutes left after a great run to outfox PSG's Willian Pacho.

Sub: Diego Luna - 5.5

Battled hard in his half hour on the pitch, though he couldn't quite make the final-third impact he typically does. His lone shooting chance was fired straight at Galíndez.

Sub: Alex Freeman - 6.5

Came in at right center back and showed his ever-improving two-way game, making key interventions defensively while giving Ecuador trouble on his forays forward.

Sub: Christian Pulisic - 5

Was given the final 20 minutes in a game he wasn't certain to play as he deals with an ankle issue. Didn't make a major impact after coming on.

Sub: Mark McKenzie - 6

Didn't have much defending to do after coming on in the 73rd minute, but helped the U.S. keep the ball moving with his passing.

Sub: Cristian Roldan - 6

Showed off some of the tenacity and work rate in midfield that has made Pochettino a fan.

Sub: Haji Wright - 5

Came on with 10 minutes to play and got involved straight away. Didn't quite come off for the striker though, as he struck a late effort straight at Galíndez when he had a chance to score.

This article originally appeared on Pro Soccer Wire: USMNT vs. Ecuador player ratings: Pochettino's men impress in draw

Reporting by Seth Vertelney, Pro Soccer Wire / Pro Soccer Wire

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