After a battering at hands of Colombia, Christian Pulisic and the USMNT bounced back by going toe-to-toe with the Selecao.
In 11 days, there will be no room for moral victories for the U.S. men’s national team. Once the Copa America kicks off, results are king – no matter how you get them.
No matter what it takes, the only thing that will matter is actual, tangible success.
But on Wednesday night, in their final pre-Copa friendly, the U.S. earned a result that will allow them to leave Orlando with their heads held high. They didn’t beat mighty Brazil, but they didn’t back down and, in that context, it felt like a job well done.
After conceding an early goal to Rodrygo, Christian Pulisic’s stunning free-kick helped the USMNT earn a 1-1 draw in Orlando. The score doesn’t tell the whole story, though. The U.S. didn’t sit and bunker; they showed no fear staring down an elite Brazil team.
After the recent 5-1 humbling at the hands of Colombia, this was exactly the performance the USMNT needed. A win would have been nice but, even without it, it feels like the U.S. is back on track after going toe-to-toe with one of the competition’s favorites.
“We want to be able to beat teams like this, but we do think it’s a positive step,” Berhalter said. “Our record against Brazil hasn’t been great and to have the guys put all the results away and just focus on working together, playing hard and doing their role was refreshing because that’s what we’re going to need to be successful moving forward.”
Goalkeeper & Defense
Matt Turner (7/10):
Needed to do better on the ball for Brazil’s opener. Made a whole bunch of saves when called upon, though, which is the trade-off with a goalkeeper like Turner.
Antonee Robinson (7/10):
Got up and down that left-hand side, as he always does. Was extra helpful with that given Brazil’s wingers refusing to track back.
Tim Ream (6/10):
Great on the ball, but looked a bit slow off of it. That can be expected when you play a team like Brazil, though.
Chris Richards (6/10):
Had one fantastic tackle that was correctly rewarded by VAR. Was solid otherwise as well.
Joe Scally (7/10):
Brazil targeted him all game long and he stood strong every time. One heck of a defensive performance that will help make his case at right-back.
Midfield
Yunus Musah (5/10):
Fell asleep on Brazil’s opener. Did well going forward, but needs to be more aware defensively if he wants to be a No.6 at this level.
Weston McKennie (5/10):
Wasn’t as aggressive as we’re used to, particularly on Brazil’s goal. Didn’t get on the ball as much as the USMNT would like either.
Gio Reyna (7/10):
Surprisingly did a lot of good defensive work, in addition to his attacking contributions. Didn’t quite create “the” chance, but had a few decent moments.
Midfield
Yunus Musah (5/10):
Fell asleep on Brazil’s opener. Did well going forward, but needs to be more aware defensively if he wants to be a No.6 at this level.
Weston McKennie (5/10):
Wasn’t as aggressive as we’re used to, particularly on Brazil’s goal. Didn’t get on the ball as much as the USMNT would like either.
Gio Reyna (7/10):Surprisingly did a lot of good defensive work, in addition to his attacking contributions. Didn’t quite create “the” chance, but had a few decent moments.
