EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Ecuador held a lead for only three minutes and settled for a 1-1 draw with Colombia on Wednesday, its first of two preparation matches before the World Cup.

Ecuador, playing with four of its regulars on the bench and in what appeared to be an experimental 4-3-3 formation, took the lead in the 52nd minute when Segundo Castillo ran onto an attempted clearance attempt by Haydee Palacio and drove a shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Colombia responded three minutes later when Elkin Soto received a ball at the top of the Ecuadorean box and launched a left-footer that beat keeper Christian Mora inside the right post.

Ecuador was to complete preparations in Spain, where it will face Macedonia in Madrid on Sunday. It opens the World Cup in Germany on June 9 against Poland.

The match, before an overwhelmingly partisan Ecuadorean crowd of 52,425 -- the largest crowd to see a soccer game at Giants Stadium since 74,511 saw Manchester United play AC Milan in a friendly in 2004, was the first of five for Colombia in 12 days. It faces Romania in Chicago on Saturday before traveling to Europe and playing Poland, Germany and Morocco.

Colombia used only five of its regular starting 11, while Ecuador sat forward Augustin Delgado, defenders Ulises de la Cruz and Geovanny Espinoza and goalkeeper Edwin Villafuerte.

Both sides mostly were limited to long-range chances, especially Ecuador, which was whistled offside seven times in the first half.

The United States has been a popular destination for both sides. The match was the 11th for Colombia in two years in the United States, including three in the past year at Giants Stadium.

The game against Colombia was the fourth for Ecuador at Giants Stadium since October 2004, and followed a similar "send off" match in 2002, when it beat Yugoslavia 1-0 in the New York City suburbs before heading to South Korea and Japan.