For the first time in program history, the U.S. Men’s National Team was held to a draw against Brazil. Gregg Berhalter challenged his team after a lopsided 5-1 loss. Columbia The players responded in a big way over the weekend, drawing 1-1 against Rodrigo, Vinicius Junior and company. Aside from Rodrigo’s opening performance for Brazil, it was Christian Pulisic’s equalizer from a free kick in the first half and Matt Turner’s 11 saves that took the spotlight at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium.
Now is the time for the USMNT to regroup and prepare for their opening Copa America match against Bolivia on June 21. But before we look ahead, let’s take a look at the team’s performance.
goalkeeper: mat turner
Distribution aside, Matt Turner was great. He made a whopping 11 saves, the most by an American goalie since Tim Howard had 15. Belgium At the 2014 World Cup — each stop felt as great as the next. Perhaps Turner needed the match to knock off the rust of not playing regularly. Nottingham Forest. More than that and the USMNT might have a real chance at the Copa America. He took home my Man of the Match award.
Rating: 8
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Right full-back: Joe Scali
Joe Scally may need help on defense sometimes, but who doesn’t when defensive duties are needed? Vinicius Jr.. Scally combined with Tim Weah and Reyna were able to keep Vini and the action in front of him by winning all three tackles. It’s the start of the Copa America and he will go into the tournament with confidence.
Rating: 7
Center back: Chris Richards
There was the odd moment when he was given a yellow card and it was canceled while checking to see if it was a red, but Richards was solid for the most part. There were too many moments when Brazil hit the goal, but that was because they did not have a shield. tyler adams In front of the defence, it was down to the performances of Richards and Tim Ream, who were where they needed to be most of the time.
Rating: 6
Center back: team rim
Without Ream’s passing ability and calm decision-making, the USMNT were stubborn about playing from the back, so there were quite a few situations they couldn’t get out of. If this had been a competitive game Brazil might have attacked their central defenders harder, but they did what they had to do.
Rating: 6
Back left: Anthony Robinson
After one of his most shaky performances in a USMNT shirt against Colombia, Anthony Robinson responded well against Brazil. He stepped up when the offense needed him to create the joint-most chances on the team with three, along with Weston McKennie. However, while doing so, Robinson did not neglect his defensive responsibilities. Raphinha Well included during the game.
Rating: 7
Midfielder: Yunus Musa
Yunus Musa, who shook the crossbar with a strike in the first half, unfortunately failed to score. He may be the most unpredictable member of the USMNT midfield after Reyna, although he is still raw in many areas of his game. With his ability to dribble from tight angles and win the ball back, Musah kept Brazil on edge and deserved the goal.
Rating: 6
Midfielder: Gio Reyna
It wasn’t a vintage Gio Rayna game, but in some ways that was a good thing. Because he didn’t appear much during the World Cup. catarrh, he has been working on improving his defensive work rate since his spare time at the Qatar World Cup and it has shown. He made a tackle along with four ball recoveries as he was a constant nuisance in midfield. It’s clear that Reyna needs to be on the pitch against the best teams. And if Tyler Adams doesn’t perform at 100% in the Copa America, Reyna will be one of the first names on the team sheet.
Rating: 6
Midfielder: Weston McKennie
McKennie did a little bit of everything, appearing on offense and defense. It felt like he could have done more if he had the ball, but he was still dealing with Brazil. This was a tough draw for any player. McKennie is at his best when he has the ball more, but he took advantage of the opportunities he had and created as much as he could.
Rating: 6
Forward: Tim Weah
Between focusing on defense and being involved in attack, Weah showcased what he learned from playing at wing-back. He was still able to test Alisson with two shots on target. Once the tournament begins, you’ll want Weah to be on the attack.
Rating: 5
Forward: Ricardo Pepi
In his first start of 2024, Pepi had the thankless task of putting Brazil under pressure and forcing them into defensive errors. Just because he didn’t hit a shot doesn’t mean he didn’t make an impact. Berhalter said he will have to make difficult decisions about things he opposes. Uruguay As a striker in the group stage. When it comes to Americans’ favorite games, Balogun should still be the preferred option.
Rating: 5
from now on: Christian Pulisic
A free kick was awarded, and after some trickery by the USMNT, they fooled Alisson into scoring. Pulisic, with his inventive finishing and strong work-rate from his team captain, could have had a brace and an assist in what had been a weaker opposition. There was room for improvement, but this was exemplified by Pulisic’s counter-attacking performance.
Rating: 7
Substitute: Folarin Balogun
Balogun, coming off the bench, had a shot but didn’t see much of a touch as Brazil pushed for the winning goal.
Rating: 5
Substitute: Tyler Adams
It’s great to see Tyler Adams back on the field after dealing with a back injury and sitting out the season. Despite his small role, he hopes to develop it further in the Copa America.
Rating: 5
delegate: Brendan Aronson
He almost won the match, but Alisson denied him from close range. Exactly the kind of performance you want to get off the bench.
delegate: Johnny Cardoso
He came on to slow down the game and often won the ball. He hasn’t really put a foot wrong when it comes to making important appearances off the bench.
Rating: 6
delegate: Shaq Moore
A few fouls were committed to keep Brazil off balance and spelled Scally.
Rating: N/A
Manager: Greg Berhalter
Berhalter got the response he needed from his players after a 5-1 drubbing. They pressed and looked much more driven. This meant a World Cup draw. uk The USMNT absorbed the pressure and scored against all odds. This is not a team that cannot face Brazil unless they are lucky. It was a positive thing for them to accept that and do what they could to hold Brazil back.
Rating: 7
