Brazil Beats Team USA In Confederations Cup Championship 3-2 | Soccer | Brazil

12

(Edited by celticfc411)

I wouldn't call this a choke job. Brazil is the best in the world (yes, I know Spain had the #1 FIFA ranking, but those don't count for squat) and against that team and that style of play, no lead is ever safe. Actually, the US was the only team to lead against Brazil in the entire tournament. The US showed they can hang with them and even the loss is a big stepping stone.
So what did this tournament show us?
Donovan showed he is the team's leader. Tim Howard is a human wall. Jozy Altidore has shown that Villarreal and Xerez are just stupid for not giving him more playing time (How did it feel, Capdevila?) Davies has shown promise. Jay Demerit just played himself firmly back into the defense selection chart. Clint Dempsey, is, well, Clint Dempsey. We can't afford to leave him out. Mike Bradley is another full-time starter (and nobody should bring up that he's the coach's son. The kid would be playing under any coach).

Let's see...what else?
When the US realized that the name on the front of the jersey is just an arrangement of letters, and stopped being intimidated (and let's face it, against Italy and Brazil the first time, they were), they started to play very well.
A pissed off and/or motivated squad wearing the red, white and blue is going to do some damage in an international tournament in the near future. I think this time they arent going to let the momentum fade (i.e. from 2002 to 2006).

Next up for the US is the Gold Cup, the North American regional tournament. We won't see a lot of the players from this squad (Davies being a notable exception), but it will be a good chance for some other players to step up and show they deserve future chances (here's looking at you, Freddy).

Given the situation just over a week ago, I'd say this group of players has had their coming of age moment. Look for them to continue winning.

6/28/09

Brunetix

2

i wanted them to win soo bad...and i they won the 1st HALF..it was unexpected for BRAZIL to make such a big comback..i think they couldnt have gotten those 3 point but USA did just allowed them..i no our TEAM is STRONG and they have played well...but i guess at the end they ran out of energy. Although it was disspointing that they gave up in the end IM PROUD OF THEM AND I STILL GIVE MY THUMBS UP FOR THEM.

6/28/09

luc20lakings

4

USA played an absolutely perfect first half against one of the greatest teams in the world, if not the greatest. It was very disapointing to come so close and lose this game.

However, considering the US was so close to be out of this tournament after the first round, and beating the number 1 team in the world to get to the Finals, overall I'd say the US were very successful in South Africa.

The one thing the US can take away from this tourney is they have officially put the world on notice: this team can play with you! See ya next year!!

6/28/09

Scott

4

Despite the loss, The United States has proven in the last two games that they can in fact play with the better teams in the world. They've come along way from the beginning of the Confederation Cup but they still have alot to work on. I dont like to call this loss a choke but I agree with Pat, when you are up by 2 goals you have to be able to win the game. The US will learn from this and hopefully they will be able to develop some depth so they dont run out of gas again the next time they have a better team on the ropes

6/28/09

3	Enough of the "moral" victories. This match made me want even more. However, this was a great stepping (there's another more victory) for US Soccer and hopefully the confidence will carry over to the World Cup. And maybe, just maybe the US can at least return to the quarterfinals (or beyond)... I can dream, can't I?

6/28/09

3	Seachickenhawk wrote: Enough of the "moral" victories. This match made me want even more. However, this was a great stepping (there's another more victory) for US Soccer and hopefully the confidence will carry over to the World Cup. And maybe, just maybe the US can at least return to the quarterfinals (or beyond)... I can dream, can't I? It might be less of a dream than it was 2 weeks ago

6/28/09

Boski93

3

I know this was a major accomplishment getting here and Brazil is a great club, but that was still very tough to watch. Today showed that we have some talent but not enough. The U.S. lack of depth killed them in the 2nd half. Even with soccer not being a major sport here, this country's soccer program should be producing more talent then what we have seen. So again U.S. soccer is still falling on it's face by not doing it's job from top to bottom.

6/28/09

drunko

2	It's too bad, but now the only thing soccer-ignorant America will remember is that we blew a 2 goal lead in a final. Also, regarding soccer's saturation in the U.S.: until we upset Spain, I had never heard of the Confederation Cup, and I still have no idea what it is.

6/28/09

buckhntr

1	ok,the americans played well,i give them credit. i can't get into it. i tried when i was stationed in scotland,a wonderful country,and went to world cop qualifiers,rangers-celtics,good stuff. but it still sucks. i guess i don't get it.

6/28/09

olliertv

2

no way no how was this a choke job. period.
The united states is not a great team, they may be good but the still lack the killer instinct the likes of brazil and spain have.
but this is the way to discover that killer instinct. being there playing your heart out on the big stage. only to lose. you can be sure that the next time they have this opportunity they will not fail to choke out their opponent.

overall brasil is a better team than us with more talented players

6/28/09

2	Pat wrote: If you're up 2-0 in a soccer game, you should absolutely win that game. Period. If you lose, then you have choked. Not when you're playing arguably the best team in the world with the most potent offense.

6/28/09

2

drunko wrote:

It's too bad, but now the only thing soccer-ignorant America will remember is that we blew a 2 goal lead in a final.

Also, regarding soccer's saturation in the U.S.: until we upset Spain, I had never heard of the Confederation Cup, and I still have no idea what it is.

The Confederations Cup consists of all winners of the most recent Continental Cups (UEFA Cup, Gold Cup, Copa America, African Nations Cup, etc.), the World Cup holder and the host nation of the upcoming World Cup. So, it's the best of each continent...that's how you explain New Zeland's presence.

Basically, it's a warm-up for the World Cup to help ensure that the host nation has everything under control. Now they have nearly a year to fix whatever they think needs to be fixed (i.e. transportation, facilities, etc.).

It's not that big a deal of a tourney, but you certainly couldn't tell it from the way the players played and reacted.

6/28/09

3

Boski93 wrote:

I know this was a major accomplishment getting here and Brazil is a great club, but that was still very tough to watch. Today showed that we have some talent but not enough. The U.S. lack of depth killed them in the 2nd half. Even with soccer not being a major sport here, this country's soccer program should be producing more talent then what we have seen. So again U.S. soccer is still falling on it's face by not doing it's job from top to bottom.

You're right...to a degree. It's not the USSF's fault that they can't bring better players into the fold. The NFL, NBA and MLB all throw major money at local developmental leagues that draw the kids away from soccer after they're around 8 or 9. Some of those kids turn out to be great athletes...just not soccer players.

I think the USSF does a good job with what it's got. They are just having trouble prying away (or just keeping) some of the players (other than goalkeepers) that eventually turn to the "Big 3" sports in this country.

6/28/09

torontolui

1	i agree wasn't a choke job, they just were unable to hold off a very talented team

6/28/09

LakerMike

1

definitely NOT a choke job, simply the most creative team on the talent raising their game in the 2nd half. The U.S. prove that they DO deserve to be on the same field as the Brazil's and Spain's of the world, and CAN play toe-to-toe with them. This was a wonderful day, only lessened slightly by the final result. Yes, it was a tremendous disappointment not to beat the Brazilians HOWEVER we just showed the world that we have arrived on the main stage, we're finally ready to take out place amongst the world soccer-leaders. We may not have been able to beat Brazil today, but we did win in showing that we can play soccer well and that we are getting good at the game. For THOSE reasons this was a great day overall for U.S. Soccer!

6/28/09

Boski93

1

Seachickenhawk wrote:

You're right...to a degree. It's not the USSF's fault that they can't bring better players into the fold. The NFL, NBA and MLB all throw major money at local developmental leagues that draw the kids away from soccer after they're around 8 or 9. Some of those kids turn out to be great athletes...just not soccer players.

I think the USSF does a good job with what it's got. They are just having trouble prying away (or just keeping) some of the players (other than goalkeepers) that eventually turn to the "Big 3" sports in this country.

I see your point and I agree it would be great to see USSF get more athletes to draw from, I just wish the U.S. would find a vision or a plan and stick to it. It just seems the program is stuck. I still think the USSF should have rolled up the Brinks truck and given Klinsman whatever he wanted after the 2006 Cup, but again I am not a smart man.

6/28/09

brunjo2004

2	Pat wrote: If you're up 2-0 in a soccer game, you should absolutely win that game. Period. If you lose, then you have choked. not really, usa will never beat brazil, soccer is culture 4 brazil and will never be beaten....usa came this far by luck, they r noway compared to spain,brazil,iraq etc...

6/28/09

2

Brazil is of a handful of teams that can come back from a 2-0 deficit. They play a high tempo style that allows them to score at will.

Choke? In US terms everything but first place is a damn choke. The Magic, Cardinals and the Red Wings all choked right? The Red Wings were up 2-0 in their series and lost in 7 games with game 7 being in Detroit. I didn't hear not a one of you or a any major media outlet call that a choke. The Cardinals came back against Pittsburgh only to lose the lead on a tremendous play. No one called that a choke. The Magic just didn't have what it took to beat the Lakers, not a choke.

4 teams, all making it to a finals in their respective sports. All 4 not chokers. The US up 2-0 in the first half only to lose 3-2. The US needed luck to get to the semis and played an amazing game against Spain. Patience. Before 1990, when was the last time the US was relevant in international soccer?! Only a few on this site were born then.

A rebirth, if you will, is happening. The US has finally tasted real success, the have tasted what it is like to beat an excellent team in a FIFA semi, lead against and then ultimately lose to a 5 time World Cup champion. Yes it sucks, yes it is going to sting. But, what has happened is that nations will take notice and the US team may have had an epiphany. Well done, US! You have reignited my passion for US soccer.

6/28/09

halo1234

2	who would have thought USA would be in th final. Just getting there is an achievement.

6/28/09

1	brunjo2004 wrote: not really, usa will never beat brazil, soccer is culture 4 brazil and will never be beaten....usa came this far by luck, they r noway compared to spain,brazil,iraq etc... USA has beaten Brazil, just not in a FIFA event. By luck, sure. But for a half, you could not lie that Brazil had been outplayed by a team that can in "noway compared to spain, brazil, iraq etc..

6/28/09

2

brunjo2004 wrote:

not really, usa will never beat brazil, soccer is culture 4 brazil and will never be beaten....usa came this far by luck, they r noway compared to spain,brazil,iraq etc...

Let's not forget what France did to Brazil in '98. Absolutely no one had taken them seriously since winning the Euro Cup in '84 and then all of sudden, they shocked the soccer world by absolutely humiliating Brazil in front of the world. Point being, you can never know what can happen when a group of players finally have that moment when they realize that they can beat anyone and are not intimidated by anyone. Recipe of an extremely dangerous. The US is getting there a lot faster than the soccer world wants them to.

6/28/09

burritoman24

1

Well this was almost a great way to end up the tournament but sadly they came up short. It just shows u that the US can compete with the best.

But if u think about it the US went 2-3 during the tournament with a goal difference of -1. The problem for this team was making stupid mistakes in the US third of the field and gave up too much space for opponents to shoot. The US gave up 9 goals in 5 games which is about 2 goals a game which makes it hard to win.

On the bright side... we scored. The US put the ball into the back of the net 8 times in five games. Dempsey showed some great skills and strength during the tournament. Donavan was a great leader and u knew that he wanted to win every game sooooo badly. But he has to start shooting the ball and not pass it so much. Davies really jumped out at me because before this tournament he had not done much. Some great hustle plays gave the US some goals which turned out to b huge and thats what happend at the 2009 Confederations Cup.

6/28/09

1	They've realized what they are capable of. Perhaps more importantly (case in point: Clint Dempsey crying in frustration) they now have an incredible desire to get back to the big stage and prove that they belong. Only time will be able to tell us, but perhaps the loss today, and the manner in which they lost, will end up being more valuable than a win.

6/28/09

Pat

3	brunjo2004 wrote: not really, usa will never beat brazil, soccer is culture 4 brazil and will never be beaten....usa came this far by luck, they r noway compared to spain,brazil,iraq etc... Spain... Brazil... Iraq??? How the hell does Iraq get mentioned with those two?

6/29/09

1

Boski93 wrote:

I see your point and I agree it would be great to see USSF get more athletes to draw from, I just wish the U.S. would find a vision or a plan and stick to it. It just seems the program is stuck. I still think the USSF should have rolled up the Brinks truck and given Klinsman whatever he wanted after the 2006 Cup, but again I am not a smart man.

I was hoping for Klinsman, too. He was certainly what we needed at the time. From what I understand, it wasn't the money that kept Klinsman away (US Soccer was going to back up the Brinks truck). He wanted to have control of all levels of players (U17, U19, etc.) and their development. Gulati wasn't willing to give that up to just one person. Needless to say, they parted ways and the job went to Bob Bradley...who has certainly proven that he's up to the task. Even though he tried to some boneheaded things like play Beasley, let alone to play him at left back.

6/29/09

frankmwatha

1	Brazil will continue to win

6/29/09

Lorraine994

1

Its just like one of the commendators said yesterday "if someone would have told USA players and officials that they were to meet Brazil in the final, they would not have believed any of that" So, i say bravo to the USA team that proved themselves and played theee champions as some know Brazil in a tight Confederation Cup Final.

As for Brazil, they proved to the rest of the world AGAIN why they are among the best when it comes to football.

6/29/09

0	Pat wrote: Spain... Brazil... Iraq??? How the hell does Iraq get mentioned with those two? Exactly. I believe Egypt and Saudi Arabia have had more success than Iraq.

6/29/09

hassan_dib2003

1	I LOVE BRAZIL SOOOOOOO I'M SO MUCH WINER NOW AND I'M PROUD OF MY HEROS SAMPA DANCERSSSSSSS

6/29/09

luc20lakings

0

brunjo2004 wrote:

not really, usa will never beat brazil, soccer is culture 4 brazil and will never be beaten....usa came this far by luck, they r noway compared to spain,brazil,iraq etc...

Thats funny, since the US beat Brazil 1-0 in the Gold Cup just to get into this tournement. Any team can beat any other team on any given day given the right circumstances and confindence to overcome anything, and the US are getting closer, just in time too!!

6/29/09

2

If you are looking for conspiracy theories and corruption in futbal, please see the Serie A. The goal by KaKa should have counted, but it did not due to the poor position of the assistant refs and lack of replay in the game. Bad luck. Happens to all teams. The US had 3 out of the 4 red cards in the tournament. Explain that?!

What happened is that Spain lost and was outplayed for most of the game. Stop before you start.

6/29/09

0

celticfc411 wrote:

I wouldn't call this a choke job. Brazil is the best in the world (yes, I know Spain had the #1 FIFA ranking, but those don't count for squat) and against that team and that style of play, no lead is ever safe. Actually, the US was the only team to lead against Brazil in the entire tournament. The US showed they can hang with them and even the loss is a big stepping stone.
So what did this tournament show us?
Donovan showed he is the team's leader. Tim Howard is a human wall. Jozy Altidore has shown that Villarreal and Xerez are just stupid for not giving him more playing time (How did it feel, Capdevila?) Davies has shown promise. Jay Demerit just played himself firmly back into the defense selection chart. Clint Dempsey, is, well, Clint Dempsey. We can't afford to leave him out. Mike Bradley is another full-time starter (and nobody should bring up that he's the coach's son. The kid would be playing under any coach).

Let's see...what else?
When the US realized that the name on the front of the jersey is just an arrangement of letters, and stopped being intimidated (and let's face it, against Italy and Brazil the first time, they were), they started to play very well.
A pissed off and/or motivated squad wearing the red, white and blue is going to do some damage in an international tournament in the near future. I think this time they arent going to let the momentum fade (i.e. from 2002 to 2006).

Next up for the US is the Gold Cup, the North American regional tournament. We won't see a lot of the players from this squad (Davies being a notable exception), but it will be a good chance for some other players to step up and show they deserve future chances (here's looking at you, Freddy).

Given the situation just over a week ago, I'd say this group of players has had their coming of age moment. Look for them to continue winning.

Love the post, I think your thoughts are spot on. But about the Gold Cup, I know the US is going to send their "B" team. To me, that's a disaster.

The US needs to win the Gold Cup to show that their performance in the Confed Cup was not a fluke. Plus, the US is the defending Gold Cup champ and is the host nation for the Gold Cup. I think they are disrespecting this tournament if they don't send a squad that is capable of winning.

I mean, the US wouldn't have even been in the confed cup tournament without winning the Gold Cup, that's how they qualified. So shouldn't they try to win this one too? Mexico is going to send their "A" team, the US can't beat them with their "B" team. This will be a disaster like Copa America and everything that the US has won based on their performance in the confed cup will be lost if they don't at least make the final of the Gold Cup.

6/29/09

0

Pat wrote:

If you're up 2-0 in a soccer game, you should absolutely win that game. Period. If you lose, then you have choked.

If you are in your home stadium? Sure. If you score your two goals in the 75th min and in the 88th min? Absolutely.

But when you score twice before the 20th min? And you are playing one of the top 3 teams in the world? In Africa, where Brazil has never lost a game?

I think to say that that is a choke job is too strong a statement. 2-0 in the 88th min and losing is a choke job. 2-0 with a full half + stoppage left to play is not a choke job.

Not to mention the fact that the US were missing Michael Bradley. If Brazil is missing an equivalent player from their side, then I think the US holds on to win. Or if Bradley played, I also think the US would have held on to win. Bradley gives the US the ability to possess the ball in the midfield and he's also one of the better defenders on the US team. Without him, the US already had the short end of the stick as far as subs goes and the Brazil subs came on and won the game for them. It happens, but that is not a choke job.

6/29/09

0	brunjo2004 wrote: not really, usa will never beat brazil, soccer is culture 4 brazil and will never be beaten....usa came this far by luck, they r noway compared to spain,brazil,iraq etc... The US beat Brazil 1-0 in the Gold Cup a few years back. So you can take that "USA will never beat Brazil" and stuff it. The US has beaten Brazil, and will beat Brazil again. Deal with it.

6/29/09

0

BluDevil wrote:

Love the post, I think your thoughts are spot on. But about the Gold Cup, I know the US is going to send their "B" team. To me, that's a disaster.

The US needs to win the Gold Cup to show that their performance in the Confed Cup was not a fluke. Plus, the US is the defending Gold Cup champ and is the host nation for the Gold Cup. I think they are disrespecting this tournament if they don't send a squad that is capable of winning.

I mean, the US wouldn't have even been in the confed cup tournament without winning the Gold Cup, that's how they qualified. So shouldn't they try to win this one too? Mexico is going to send their "A" team, the US can't beat them with their "B" team. This will be a disaster like Copa America and everything that the US has won based on their performance in the confed cup will be lost if they don't at least make the final of the Gold Cup.

Unfortunately if's a product of the club vs country disagreement. Teams weren't going to release players for the two tournaments, so we sent the best we had to the tougher of the two tournaments. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Gold Cup has been held every two years. The next Confed Cup wouldnt be until 2013, and the winner of this Gold Cup doesn't qualify for 2013. Of course, if this isnt true, then this post is worthless.

I agree it's not our best squad, but there are some players there who are playing for their international futures. I'm optimistic about our performance.

6/29/09

0

celticfc411 wrote:

Unfortunately if's a product of the club vs country disagreement. Teams weren't going to release players for the two tournaments, so we sent the best we had to the tougher of the two tournaments. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Gold Cup has been held every two years. The next Confed Cup wouldnt be until 2013, and the winner of this Gold Cup doesn't qualify for 2013. Of course, if this isnt true, then this post is worthless.

I agree it's not our best squad, but there are some players there who are playing for their international futures. I'm optimistic about our performance.

Yep, the winner of this Gold Cup does not auto-qualify for the next confed cup. I'm just saying, if you do this well in the confed cup and then lets say you go like 1-1-1 and miss the semi's of the gold cup people are going to say that US soccer is back in the toilet and the confed cup was a fluke.

So club teams be damned, I say that that US has to play well in the gold cup to keep their momentum going forward. If they don't, it will be just like what happened after Copa America last year.

6/29/09