Brazil vs. Mexico: Upset Victory Says Nothing About Team USA's Defeat

Mexico upended Brazil, 2-0, on Sunday, but their upset victory doesn't make Team USA's loss to the Brazilians any worse.

Granted, you never want to watch your bitter rivals beat the team that spanked you, 4-1, especially when those games are just four days apart. But while it has been a disappointing several days for Team USA, Mexico's victory over Brazil isn't an indictment on the Americans' form.

One thing you can take away from this game is that the Mexican attack is dominant right now, particularly Giovani Dos Santos and Javier "Chicharito" Hernanadez. Both players scored for the second consecutive game (although Dos Santos' gorgeous chip shot may have actually been a cross attempt).

As good as Mexico's attack was, however, the Americans actually created more chances against Brazil, and they did a much better job of maintaining possession. The Mexicans also benefited from several debatable calls that could have swayed the outcome of the match.

In the 10th minute, Brazilian star Hulk put the ball over the top to Leandro Damiao, who converted the easy finish. Unfortunately for Brazil, his goal was disallowed on a questionable offsides decision. The Brazilians were also denied penalty shots on no-calls in the 20th and 53rd minutes.

Of course, you can't blame the outcome of the game on the referees. Brazil had eight corner kicks and 16 shots on goal, but they repeatedly blew chances that they usually finish.

So, while this game may have been highly discouraging for American fans, the result doesn't really affect Team USA at all. Brazil played much better against the U.S., and Mexico wasn't as quite as impressive as the final score would indicate.

If Mexico and the United States meet anytime soon, we will get a much better perspective on how the two nations stack up against each other. But by analyzing their performances against a common opponent, we won't accomplish anything.