USA vs Brazil

[cepausm]

USA by 2, this is going so much better then I thought it would. The US squad is really looking good right now and is able to counter a lot of Brazil attacks. Hopefully the defense can hold, Brazil is doing a lot of attacking.

[Comeback City]

What a heartbreaker...

Up 2-0 at halftime...I was going crazy when Dempsey put USA up 1-0 and then again after Donovan's goal...but Brazil dominated the second half...final score should have been 4-2...

[ioaz81]

Yeah that one goal counted. US is getting better. Soon, a lot of people wont have to be hideaway soccer fans :)

[Kingfisher]

Getting beat by Brazil is nothing to be ashamed of, despite being ahead at half time!

By the same token, beating Spain is something to be proud of!

I just wish you'd all call the game by it's proper name - Football!

[Chilli Dipper]

Curse those dastardly Brazilians for letting us think for 45 minutes that we could actually beat them!

Actually, I'm somewhat glad Brazil won. Once any country's national team wins an international event, that country's fans (even worse, its media) expect it to win every international event, and the scrutiny that comes when it doesn't is simply unbearable. Heck, Uruguay still believes it should be a contender on the global stage, based on a team of players who are all dead now being able to beat Brazil 60 years ago to win a World Cup where half the world was too busy recovering from World War II to show up. (All they had to do to make the finals was defeat Bolivia, because the other teams in their group couldn't afford to buy shoes!) I like U.S. Soccer's current underdog/underachiever status. It's good when we exceed expectations, but not so bad when we don't.

[bogeyhitter25]

USA by 2, this is going so much better then I thought it would. The US squad is really looking good right now and is able to counter a lot of Brazil attacks. Hopefully the defense can hold, Brazil is doing a lot of attacking.

You jinxed 'em man.

Oh well. The game against Spain was awesome. Jozy Altidore is going to be quite the player in a few years.

[ioaz81]

I just wish you'd all call the game by it's proper name - Football!

I would, but then it would just get confused with American football and that wastes time. :)

[AmenCorner]

Speaking of bad luck, I turned it on at 70:00 at 2-2 and Brazil scored what seemed like 2 seconds later. I promise to abstain from all future viewing.

[PEZGolf]

Getting beat by Brazil is nothing to be ashamed of, despite being ahead at half time!

Great first half by the US; great job in goal; the sport is football--you are correct. I refer to the NFL and college games as "American football".

[pittpanther]

What changed from the first half to the second half?

- did USA "pucker up"?
- USA tried to go into a "defensive" mode and hold the lead, instead of continuing to attack?
- Brazil was not aggressive in the first half, and played more aggressively in the second?
- balls just bounced Brazil's way in the second?

If you had to analyze the first half versus the second, in your opinion what changed?

[Kingfisher]

What changed from the first half to the second half?

If I analyse things, I'd say it's nothing to worry about - you were just beaten by the better team!

I had a quick look at the FIFA world rankings and Brazil are #1 with USA currently at #12 - this is a big surprise to me, as they are ahead of some pretty decent teams: http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/ra...llranking.html Anyway, to compare this soccer match to a golf game is like Camillo Villegas (currently #12) being 2up up after 9 holes against Tiger (currently #1) and getting beat. I think none of use would be surprised if that happened, because we'd expect the world's best to make a fight of it...

[aceadair]

All in all a great tournament showing by the US.

[Chilli Dipper]

anybody think the US team looked like a bunch of kids that got cut by their JV high school football team? They are obviously not our best atheletes. Can u imagine if the best US atheletes had played soccer rather than B-ball or football, (golf or swimming for that matter). Peyton Manning making a perfect corner kick to Kolbe and DWade who would each elevate at least 12" higher than the best defenders....Randy Moss and TO streaking down as midfielders...a 5'8" 160 pound Brazilian running into Troy Palomalu, Ed Reed or Jason Taylor....Lebron James in Goal...who says fantasy football ain't fun!!

Uh, no. Different sports require different skillsets. Namely, find a bulky football player and tell him to sprint back and forth the length of the field non-stop for 90 minutes, and see how he fares. There's a reason soccer players aren't ripped. You do have a valid point about height, though: the English national team's top scorer is the 6'7" Peter Crouch, for exactly the reason you mentioned.

[TakeDeadAim]

If I analyse things, I'd say it's nothing to worry about - you were just beaten by the better team!

Well spoken. Yes sir.

[Kellfire]

Uh, no. Different sports require different skillsets. Namely, find a bulky football player and tell him to sprint back and forth the length of the field non-stop for 90 minutes, and see how he fares. There's a reason soccer players aren't ripped. You do have a valid point about height, though: the English national team's top scorer is the 6'7" Peter Crouch, for exactly the reason you mentioned.

Crouch isn't England's top scorer, he's decidely average.

The world rankings mean little, the USA are far from the 12th best team in the world. They're suited for the USA because they generally play such poor teams.

[Kingfisher]

Crouch isn't England's top scorer, he's decidely average.

Does that mean world rankings in any sport mean very little also? Tiger gets to play against some no-names, as does Roger Federer...but I think few of would dispute that they are both at the top of their respective sports?

Anyway, it was just meant to illustrate that the US getting beaten by Brazil is nothing at all the be ashamed of.

[Kellfire]

Does that mean world rankings in any sport mean very little also? Tiger gets to play against some no-names, as does Roger Federer...but I think few of would dispute that they are both at the top of their respective sports?

No, other world rankings are based around more sound results. For example, Federer doesn't earn his ranking points by only playing players like Jonas Bjorkman as Tiger has to compete with pretty much all the top players in the world at every major.

[iWALK18]

Anyway, to compare this soccer match to a golf game is like Camillo Villegas (currently #12) being 2up up after 9 holes against Tiger (currently #1) and getting beat.

I have to disagree. Its more like being 5 up at the turn and losing. a 2 goal lead in soccer is absolutely massive. I agree going into it we were clearly the dog, but spot us a 2 goal lead at halftime, and we should win 100 percent of the time. I don't care who we were playing. This really strikes at the issue with the US: shaky defense. We gave up quick goals in many of our games.