Tampa Bay, FL (Sports Network) - The U.S. Men's National Team got a performance from midfielder/forward Landon Donovan that reminded American fans of his play of old, before this past summer's World Cup.
Donovan scored three goals to lead the U.S. past Ecuador 3-1 at Raymond James Stadium, here, Sunday to raise his career total with the USMNT to 30, tied for second all-time with Brian McBride, just four back of record-holder Eric Wynalda.
Donovan scored his first goal in the first minute of action. The U.S. defense lobbed the ball into the Ecuador penalty area before the defense headed out, right to the boot of Donovan, who responded by firing a shot into the back of the net past goalkeeper Rorys Aragon for his third goal in the past three U.S friendlies.
Ecuador's Felipe Caicedo answered to make it 1-1 in the first half, but the 25-year-old US captain scored his other two tallies within a minute of each other in the second half, the first coming in the 65th minute.
After taking a ball from forward Brian Ching at midfield, Donovan got behind the defense and cooly slotted the ball low to the far post. About a minute later, after the U.S. took control of the ball in the offensive third, Donovan took a feed from outside midfielder DaMarcus Beasley at the top of the 18 and blasted a perfect shot into the top right corner to make it 3-1.
The win was the USMNT's fourth in four contests in 2007 - all under interim head coach Bob Bradley - with the game being part of a double FIFA fixture date that also features the U.S. taking on Guatemala in Frisco, Texas, on Wednesday. These games are the last chance for Bradley to look at his team prior to the June 2 match against China in San Jose, Calif., which kicks off the team's preparations for this summer's marquee events, the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the 2007 Copa America.
With the quick start by the U.S. offense, Ecuador had to be sharp to stay in the game. Caicedo made sure it wouldn't be a blow-out early on by answering Donovan's first goal in the 16th minute. He took a pass from Neicar Reasco at the left corner of the U.S. penalty area, stumbled past two defenders and fired a shot off 'keeper Tim Howard and into the net to even the score.
The teams traded chances the rest of the half, with neither gaining a clear- cut advantage. After Beasley missed a header high in the 25th, Ecuador answered by controlling the ball in the offensive penalty area, but failed to get off a quality chance.
Ecuador had another chance when Luis Caicedo headed the ball on goal, but midfielder Benny Feilhaber cleared the chance off the line to keep the teams knotted at one.
Reigning Major League Soccer Cup MVP, Ching, who played very well in his first appearance with the national this year, just missed chance for the U.S. about five minutes before halftime. A Donovan cross into the box found the head of Carlos Bocanegra before Ching deflected right to the keeper while taking a boot to the face. Ching was on the pitch for a couple minutes with a bloody nose before heading for the sideline.
After Ching returned, just before the break, the U.S. missed another quality chance in injury time. Ching sent a low cross through goalmouth, which Beasley recovered before a pass to a wide open Donovan was intercepted and cleared.
The second half started with Bradley making a change in his lineup. He subbed in his 19-year-old son, Michael Bradley, for Eddie Johnson, moved Donovan to forward from the center midfield position he started in, and moved Bradley to the vacated midfield spot.
The moved worked as Bradley performed well with fellow center midfielder, Feilhaber, and Ching and Donovan worked magic together up top, as evidenced by the team's go-ahead goal in the 65th minute.
The U.S. dominated the second half, missing chance after chance until Donovan finally broke through to put the game away.
NOTES: Benny Feilhaber earned his first cap with the U.S. MNT, playing center midfield the whole game. ... The U.S. outshot Ecuador 11-6, with six of those on goal. ... The MNT starting lineup featured a 4-4-2 formation with Tim Howard getting the start in goal, Carlos Bocanegra, Jimmy Conrad, Oguchi Onyewu and Steve Cherundolo forming the backline, Feilhaber, Landon Donovan in the center midfield with Clint Dempsey and DaMarcus Beasley on the flanks and Brian Ching and Eddie Johnson at forward. ... Other U.S. players to earn caps were defender Jonathan Spector, midfielders Justin Mapp, Brian Carroll and Brian Mullan and forward Taylor Twellman.