USA-Brazil: Dreams of American Victory Dashed by Brazilian Second Half Onslaught

For 45 minutes, it was a dream come true for the U.S. soccer team.  Clint Dempsey looked like a world renowned striker when he tipped in a cross just 10 minutes into the game.  Landon Donovan looked like he was, after what seemed like a decade, starting to live up to his potential, scoring after a beautiful give-and-go with Ricardo Clark. 

For 45 minutes, an American soccer team looked like it was ready to be considered a contender.  After beating Spain 2-0 on Wednesday, and taking a 2-0 lead on Brazil in the Confederations Cup Final on Sunday afternoon, it appeared as if the red, white, and blue were en route to perhaps their most important victory in the nation's history.

For 45 minutes...

But it all changed by the 46th.

Just 40 seconds after the two sides came back onto the soccer field, Brazilian forward Luis Fabiano finished a charge that helped remind the American squad of one important fact:  They were Brazil, and the Americans were not.

Following the Brazilian's tally, the aura around the field felt like Brazil had already won the game, despite the fact they were still down 2-1.  All of a sudden, the passes by players such as Carlos Bocanegra or Benny Feilhaber were no longer clicking.

Through balls were not received as crisply by young forward Jozy Altidore.  Dempsey and Donovan, the two American scorers in the first half, were nowhere to be seen.  And through it all came the Brazilian boys in yellow, buzzing around the Americans like swarming bees.

American goalkeeper Tim Howard, who rightfully won the tournaments top goalkeeper award, did all he could to contain the Brazilian onslaught.  But after Fabiano scored again in the 73rd minute to tie the game, you could just feel the final dagger coming.

That final shot to the American's heart came in the 83rd minute when Brazilian fullback Lucio headed a corner kick into the American goal, to send Brazil to a 3-2 lead, and eventual comeback win. 

It was a tragic conclusion for an American squad that had visions of hoisting the Champions trophy less than an hour before.  In the end, the Brazilians experience, depth, and perhaps most importantly, composure helped defeat the U.S.

While the Americans showed the world they could compete with the world's best, Landon Donovan summed it up best.  "We are in the position where we don't want respect, we want to win."

Weeks from now, American players and fans alike will most likely look upon the past two weeks and think of the success the team had.  After losing to Italy 3-1 and Brazil 3-0 in the first phase of the tournament, the Americans stormed back with a 3-0 win over Egypt, and their 2-0 stunner over Spain, the first ranked team in the world.

We saw players like Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey continue to lead the Americans while we've continued to see the emergence of new blood in the form of Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies, and Ricardo Clark. 

The Americans will also undoubtedly take a lot from this game in terms of playing with a lead, and having to defend a desperate attack from an offensively superior opponent.  These are lessons that can be taken to the World Cup, which, all of a sudden, is just a year away.

But for now, no one will really look on the positives or lessons of this game.  Not tonight, not tomorrow, and probably not for many nights after.  It's a time where people will reflect on what could have been—and should have been.

For 45 minutes, it looked like this would be the coming out party of American soccer.  By the 46th though, that party was crashed with the reminder of they are Brazil—and we are not.