In the dying minutes of Wednesday night’s friendly against Ecuador, the U.S. men’s national team nudged their way forward. A win wouldn’t erase the memories of a dull first half, even if the script flipped at the break thanks in part to a couple of substitutions.

By the time the dust settled on a 1-0 win that will be quickly forgotten by most — save Darlington Nagbe, who scored his first goal in a U.S. jersey — one thing was clear: the 25-year-old midfielder needs to start at the Copa America.

Nagbe is a player whose raw talent and ability were easy to spot dating back to his days at Akron. They’ve remained, grown, flourished and at times appeared to stagnate since he was drafted by the Portland Timbers in 2011.