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ORLANDO, Fla. — Gregg Berhalter became the second United States men’s soccer coach to win his first three games when Gyasi Zardes scored a bizarre goal that deflected off a defender, looped over goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez and ricocheted in off the crossbar in the 81st minute for a 1-0 exhibition victory against Ecuador on Thursday night.
Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams, 20-year-olds who have become regulars in the Bundesliga, started together for the first time as Berhalter had the full American player pool available. The United States, still recovering from its failure to qualify for last year’s World Cup, showed some of the fluidity and offensive spark Berhalter sought but also was exposed for defensive gaps that stronger opponents would probably exploit.
McKennie limped off about 20 minutes into the second half after twisting his left ankle when landing after jumping for a header with Ecuador’s Carlos Gruezo, who low-bridged him a bit. McKennie reached the corner flag with assistance, grimacing, and then needed a stretcher to come off the field.
Paul Arriola had two excellent chances, being stopped by Dominguez in the 26th minute and then putting the ball in the net in the 30th only for Jordan Morris to be ruled offside.
Zardes scored when his shot from about 22 yards hit bounded off Robert Arboleda. The 6-foot-5 Dominguez, standing about 6 yards off his line, backpedaled slowly and was unable to tip the ball over the crossbar. Zardes’s previous goal also was against Ecuador, in the 2016 Copa América quarterfinals.
Berhalter matched Bob Bradley as the only United States coaches to start 3-0. Hired in December as the first American to play for the United States in the World Cup and coach the national team, Berhalter began with wins over Panama and Costa Rica with a roster all from Major League Soccer.
The United States will play the South American champion, Chile, on Tuesday in Houston.
Berhalter is employing a formation that is a 4-3-3 in the attack and a 4-4-2 on defense.
Adams was moved from central midfield to right back, a position he played in his youth, but he had freedom to roam forward to the center of the field and was even on the left side late in the first half.
Berhalter spread the Americans across the field and into wide positions far more than his predecessors, playing Arriola on the left flank and Morris on the right.