USA vs. Brazil: Yanks Lose 2-0 To Blistering Fast Brazil Squad In Friendly

The United States lost 2-0 to the always dangerous Brazil tonight at the New Meadowlands stadium in New York/New Jersey.  The night was a very insightful one to say the least.

Let’s begin by looking at who the United States brought out to start the night: Howard Spector, Gonzalez Bocanegra, Bornstein Bradley, Edu Bedoya, and Feilhaber Donovan Buddle.

There were several surprises from the above starting XI.  First and foremost, seeing Omar Gonzalez as a starter in place of MNT regular Oguchi Onyewu gave observers a slight thrill.  Gonzalez was only called into the national team camp after Columbus Crew’s Chad Marshall had to withdraw due to injury.

Oh, by the way, this was Gonzalez’s first cap.  And it came against the team that is known by just about everyone on the planet as the most consistently dangerous national side out there.  “Gonzo” is definitely a part of the future for the MNT, and his inclusion in the starting XI was an encouraging sign.

Also of significance was the inclusion of Alejandro Bedoya on the wing to start the match.  Some may remember that Bedoya was a part of the 30-man camp roster for the United States, but was not brought to South Africa on Bob Bradley’s final 23-man roster. 

Bedoya showed very well for the Yanks as a young player on the rise, and his spot in the starting XI was quite nice to see.

The match began very brightly for the United States, with Landon Donovan slicing into the box, being denied only by a shove that brought vain calls for a penalty.  Solid work on the wing and in launching a long shot by Benny Feilhaber also highlighted the early going. 

In fact, Feilhaber’s name was heard often on the broadcast as he tracked back to defend well in the early going.

Maurice Edu did well partnering Michael Bradley in the midfield early on, helping to establish an early strength in the midfield.  Edu was also able to shake off a knock taken to his face in the 8^th minute to continue in the match. 

It also didn’t take long for Gonzalez to hear his name.  After losing a step to Alexandre Pato, Gonzo hustled back and used his size to force Pato into taking a weak shot against the United States goal.  In his first real test of the night, The LA Galaxy defender continued solidly, doing well to help shepherd a ball back to Tim Howard through traffic, as well.

The Americans found themselves down 1-0 in the 28^th minute as Neymar powered a header into Tim Howard’s net.  Andre Santos sent in a wonderful cross, with Jonathan Bornstein being the closest American to the ball.  Neymar, a player who many felt should have been included in the 2010 World Cup squad, simply out-leapt Bornstein to mark the game’s first tally.

Just three minutes later, it appeared that Pato had scored Brazil’s second goal, but it was called off.  The Brazilian slammed into Howard with the ball not under his control, negating the goal. The Brazilians were naturally not pleased, but were even more distressed that the referee took a somewhat lengthy period of time to make his call.

Brazil took control of the match for the last 15 minutes of the half, getting the vast majority of possession.  The US defense was under siege for a long stretch, and it resulted in Pato finally getting his goal. 

On the stroke of halftime, the AC Milan striker beat Tim Howard 1-on-1 and calmly put his shot home.  It would have been easy to say “The US just wasn’t up to it” at that point, but it was clear that this was a Brazilian side firing on all cylinders.

The Americans found themselves down 2-0 going into halftime, despite still playing with some quality.  An interesting subplot throughout the entire first half of the match was the animosity between Donovan and Brazilian right back Daniel Alves.  Continued jawing and eventually physicality resulted in the US earning a pair of set piece opportunities in the attacking third of the pitch.

The US brought Brad Guzan on at the half to spell Tim Howard.  Bob Bradley also brought Jozy Altidore and Sacha Kljestan on at the interval, replacing Edson Buddle and Benny Feilhaber. 

Immediately after the break, Landon Donovan again found himself looking back at the referee in wonder as he was forced off the ball roughly.  The Brazilians roared right back with Alexander Pato having a shot rattle the side netting of Guzan’s goal.

Brazilian pressure continued into the second half, with the Brazilian Joga Bonito fully in view.  A third goal was nearly scored in the 51^st minute, as a shot went off the crossbar for Robinho. 

The Americans nearly brought a goal back in the 56^th minute as Michael Bradley headed a ball home off of a Sacha Kljestan set piece.  Unfortunately for the Americans, Bradley was a good yard or so offside when he leaped into the air to solidly plant the pall into the back of the net.

The US found a late spark, putting several challenges on the Brazilian net.  It was Herculez Gomez that came closest to a tally, his header being saved by Victor, although it was certainly a lucky save.  Brazil took their collective foot off the gas pedal to some extent, but American wing backs were finally able to send a few crosses into the box.  Unfortunately, the game ended at 2-0 to the Brazilians.

All in all, considering the physical exhaustion that surely hampered the Americans to a degree, the match did not go terribly.  A loss obviously was not preferred, but playing against a Brazilian squad filled with enormous talent and having to prove themselves to a new manager, the Americans performed at least decently. 

The match’s opening was certainly promising, even more so considering that the first 20 minutes of matches in South Africa were clearly the squad’s Achilles heel.

American fans can take heart in the performances of a few players.  Landon Donovan continued to play with great passion, as evidenced by the frustration Daniel Alves showed throughout the first half.  Sacha Kljestan’s return to the national team also was quite productive.  Considering the way his play dropped off in late 2009 and early 2010, it was a refreshing site to see him putting in dangerous set piece balls with consistency.

Omar Gonzalez’s introductory performance against a lightning quick Brazil squad was certainly commendable.  He cannot be found at fault for either of Brazil’s goals and was rarely caught out of position.  As the United States moves forward in rebuilding its aging defense, Gonzalez firmly put his stake into the ground on the back line. 

The next time we will see the US national team in action will be in October for a pair of friendlies on American soil.  Until then, fans can expect plenty of drama concerning the American coaching situation.