Photo/Kari Heistad
BOSTON—Brazil has always been good at deflating the U.S. national team’s gusto, with Tuesday night’s 4-1 win at Gillette Stadium providing the latest reality check.
Brazil has now beat the U.S. 10 times in a row since their first and only loss to them in a Gold Cup semifinal game in February of 1998. Within that spell is a come-from-behind, 3-2 victory in the 2009 Confederations Cup final, which came days after the U.S. shocked Spain 2-0 in what is still known as “The Miracle on Grass.”
It was suggested that the U.S. was emerging as a world soccer power when they beat both Germany and the Netherlands on the road three months ago, but this recent drubbing to Brazil seems to prove otherwise, again. The timing of this loss, though, is especially harmful, as it falls just shy of an important, Oct. 10 CONCACAF playoff against Mexico for a spot in the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.
That the U.S. lost to Brazil was predictable, even at home in front of a modest crowd of 29,308. The way they folded, though, was particularly disheartening.
Brazil brushed past the U.S. with ease, finding their way through a porous back line in often embarrassing fashion. However, the U.S. was set up for that to be the case from the get-go, working only through Michael Bradley in an ineffective, 4-5-1 formation with Jozy Altidore as the lone forward.
On rare occasions, the U.S. got by on Bradley’s vision and the speed of DeAndre Yedlin and Danny Williams, who netted a consolation goal in second half stoppage time. But Altidore wasn’t going to get past a Brazilian back line that featured five Champions League players, especially by himself.
All the while, Brazil was on cruise control, running circles around the U.S. and besting them tactically with simple, one-touch passing.
After the game, coach Jurgen Klinsmann likened Brazil’s game to playing chess against an opponent that’s two steps ahead all the time.
Mexico isn’t that far ahead of the U.S. in terms of skill, but after winning this summer’s Gold Cup and nearly beating Argentina on Tuesday night (the game finished 2-2), the momentum is clearly in El Tri’s favor.
The U.S. should get Clint Dempsey (hamstring) back for the Mexico game, which will help the offense considerably, though having one man on the field won’t solve every problem.
What’s keeping the U.S. from breaking their snide against Brazil and opponents of their caliber is systemic and related to player development and will require time. Qualifying for the Confederations Cup will help, as it will mean more competitive games against high-level soccer nations.
Tuesday night’s humbling loss to Brazil is a red flag that the U.S. needs to up its tempo, not only against the best teams in the world but against everyone else, too.
The U.S. will play Guatemala, St. Vincent/Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago in a four-team group to open up World Cup qualification, and the U.S. should go through easily. Success in qualification is the norm these for the U.S., though winning at the elite level is still a challenge.
Beating Mexico for a chance to play in the Confederations Cup against World Cup host Russia, defending champions Germany, and a handful of other countries from each region of the globe will certainly be a step in the right direction. But the U.S. will need to re-focus and double down on its efforts, much more so than against Brazil.
If you want to reach Julian, email him at julianccardillo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @juliancardillo
