USMNT stock watch: Folarin Balogun soars, Mauricio Pochettino's tactics take root, and USA Soccer looks good

An unremarkable draw has shown that the United States men's national team is more ready for the World Cup than some of their recent victories have. Fighting back to draw 1-1 with Ecuador on Friday night with a high-intensity performance, felt like a group stage game in the World Cup, and if the United States drew a match like that while defeating the teams that they should defeat, it would also equal advancement out of the group to the newly created round of 32.

Maruico Pochettino has stated how he wants this team to perform at their best when the lights turn on for the World Cup, and from what was seen on Friday, they're on the right track. Responding from an early defensive mistake to fight back against a team that doesn't concede many goals is a good thing, as there were times in the past when the USMNT would shut down after giving up a goal. That kind of stuff should be unacceptable with Pochettino having been on the job for more than a year, so it's posititve to see that his personal identity is blending into the team. There's still room to grow for the Arentine, and to turn some of these matches into victories, but doing that without Christian Pulisic and Antonee Robinson in the starting XI is still significant.

Let's take a look at who improved or decreased their stock during the match?

Stock up: Mauricio Pochettino's tactics

In one sense, the lineup was a funny one with Tim Weah playing as a right wing back, but not really, while Weston McKennie was on the right wing, but also not really. But they got the job done on the defensive and attacking end. An experienced forward like Enner Valencia is always going to cause problems, but the team bounced back after conceding early, and Chris Richards played most of the match on a yellow card without picking up another while keeping the defense together. The back three did the job to limit Ecuador's chances, but the setup also wasn't stale with attackers getting into space.

It looked like a World Cup game when Pochettino brought in Diego Luna and Alex Freeman to push the match forward, chasing a goal to equalize. Then, when they got it, Mark McKenzie came in to lock up shop. No strange subs where roles weren't clear, and Pochettino had his finger on the pulse of the match from start to finish. It's just what will be needed for the USMNT to topple tougher opponents in the future, and it's one of the biggest takeaways from this match. Tactics will be something to watch, but if Pochettino is truly done experimenting, going forward the hope will be that the transition period was worth it with him learning the strengths and weaknesses of so many players.

Stock down: Weston McKennie

After missing the September camp, Weston McKennie came back in the squad, but not in a double pivot, starting the match on the right wing. It wasn't a bad performance by any means, with McKennie applying pressure and winning his lone tackle in 63 minutes of play, but with so many midfielders breaking through with the USMNT, someone who started in the USMNT midfield at the 2022 World Cup will miss out on 2026, and if McKennie falls behind Aidan Morris and Tanner Tessemann, Tyler Adams may be the lone starter from the 2022 midfield to start in 2026. McKennie will have a role in the squad, but during a time when he's struggling for playing time at Juventus, Pochettino is also trying to find the best role for him.

Stock up: Folarin Balogun

From the third minute of the match, when Folarin Balogun took the ball for a ride, beating multiple Ecuadorian defenders, to the moment that he was subbed out of the game for Haji Wright to close things out, he was the best player on the pitch. Moments like this are why Balogun was such an exciting dual-national recruit for the USMNT, and he did a little bit of everything facing Ecuador. Creating chances for his teammates, playing off the back shoulder of their defenders, and making the most of his own chances, there's a lot to like about Balogun leading the line for the USMNT at the World Cup. He'll go back to a slightly different club situation at Monaco following the departure of manager Adi Hutter, but for the French club to have success, they'll be relying on the American striker being at his best which is just what the USMNT need too.

Stock down: Matt Turner

Every match that Matt Freese plays well is another step to him being the starting keeper at the World Cup. His positioning could've been better on Ecuador's opening goal, but Freese did well in making his other three saves of the match while also controlling his box. As defenders get more comfortable with Freese, it becomes harder for Matt Turner to become the starting keeper unless there's an injury, even if he is playing regularly for the New England Revolution now. The fact that he's come back into camp shows that there's a chance for Turner, but it feels like an unlikely one.

Stock up: Tanner Tessmann

Tanner Tessman's second season in France is quickly becoming a breakout one, and it could also get him on the World Cup squad. Starting next to Adian Morris due to the absence of Tyler Adams, the attacking buildups involving the Lyon man were comfortable in a good way. Morris was more involved defensively as both midfielders had good matches, but Tessmann has played himself back onto the World Cup radar. He'll need to maintain that level since midfield is becoming crowded for the USMNT about without Sebastian Berhalter in camp, this is a chance to move up the depth chart.