A 4-2 lead might seem like a convincing win, but for Sunday's USA-Brazil friendly, it wasn't quite a fair result. The U.S. held up well against the No. 1 team in the world. At the 75-minute mark, they were tied 2-2. Brazil then scored two unanswered goals on a questionable foul, followed a stunning free kick, and finally a penalty kick.
"Brazil is Brazil," DaMarcus Beasley said. "They're the best team in the world. Yet in the 75th minute it was 2-2. We could have won. The game was something special. We can all learn from this."
U.S. head coach Bob Bradley said to him it didn't feel like a 4-2 loss.
"[Defender Carlos] Bocanegra was just sitting in the locker room and said that it didn't feel like a fair score," Bradley said. "I understand that. All of the players feel the same way."
It was a game where the U.S. definitely showed some promise. Familiar faces returned to the lineup, while new ones had a chance to shine. It was another building block in what Bradley describes as a "work in progress."
"We don't leave today pleased about the result," Bradley said. "We played in America. The game is 2-2. We had the momentum. That game can be ours."
The U.S. started the scoring off a Bocanegra goal in the 21st minute. Landon Donovan's corner kick bounced off Bocanegra in the center of the goal area and into the net for a 1-0 lead.
"We've been working in training on our runs," Bocanegra said. "Landon hit a good ball. I'm not sure if the two guys missed it up front. It kind of hit me and went in. I kind of lucked out on it."
Brazil pulled level in the 33rd minute. After a long passing sequence that saw Brazil work the ball from their own end to the left side of the U.S. penalty area, Kaka took a shot. U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard blocked it, but the rebound bounced off U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu's chest and into the net for a 1-1 tie.
Second half, Brazil's Lucio scored first when he headed home a Ronaldinho corner. Clint Dempsey struck 20 minutes later. With a quarter-hour to play, it was still anybody's game. In between, Josh Wolff appeared to have been taken down in the box, but there was no call from referee Armando Archundia.
Two minutes after the USA tied it at 2-2, Bocanegra was called for a foul on Daniel Alves a little bit outside the U.S. area. Ronaldinho sent the freekick through the U.S. wall and into the net for a 3-2 lead.
"The guy fell down and screamed," Bocanegra said. "He [The referee] decided to blow the whistle and gave him a freekick right there. The more opportunities he gives Ronaldinho to take chances, he's going to hurt you."
Two minutes into stoppage time, Brazil made it 4-2. Michael Bradley took down Julio Baptista in the box for a penalty kick, which Elano converted.
"If you give a team like Brazil an inch, they're going to take a mile," Howard said.
When asked about the officiating, Bradley answered with a smile.
"I thought the play with [Josh] Wolff was a penalty," he said. "I didn't feel there was a foul on Daniel Alves. I thought the call on Michael Bradley was a penalty."
In all, the U.S. players left the locker room somewhat content with how they played, although as they all said, allowing goals or taking a loss is never acceptable.
"We have to build upon this game," Dempsey said. "We showed better than a 4-2 result. 3-2 would have been more just."
Wolff, who made his first U.S. appearance since the 2006 World Cup, agreed.
"Overall it was a good game," Wolff said. "We played with good energy and high competitiveness. To come into the half with a 1-1 score was fair. The second half opened up a bit more. The 4-2 score was unfortunate. Had we gotten a call, we might have answered quickly."
The U.S. men are back in action next month when they play a pair of games on European soil, facing Catalonia in Barcelona on Oct. 14, followed by a game at Switzerland on Oct. 17.
Kathryn L. Knapp is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
