The U.S. men’s national team arrived in Orlando on the brink of a crisis. He will leave with his chest puffed and pride intact, on stable ground as he strides towards Copa América.
It came about amid outrage and pressure, in the aftermath of a 5-1 defeat to Colombia.
It responded with a statement: a 1-1 draw against Brazil, “a huge rebound performance”, as goalkeeper Matt Turner said after the match.
Of course, it wasn’t the signature victory they longed for. It was far from perfect, and without Turner’s eleven saves the interpretations and stories might have been different. Brazil had twice as many shots (25) and almost twice as many quality chances. Brazil was better; Brazil is better. That hasn’t changed.
But the US fought.
It proved – both to himself and to the world – that the post-Colombia freak might have been a bit exaggerated.
“What we did today,” Turner told TNT, “can pretty much reflect that [Colombia game] to bed.”
It proved again that it was so can compete with the very best teams in international football. What it still hasn’t done in five years under head coach Gregg Berhalter is beat any of them. But just as they did against England at the World Cup, the country has come close to victory, close enough to maintain confidence that it will happen one day.
“We feel like we’ve taken a small step,” Berhalter said. “It’s not a big step, but it’s a small step.”
And, most importantly, it was a collective event.
It was emphatic, not in scoreline but in tone. The USMNT had crumbled against Colombia. Players knew, as Chris Richards said, “One thing we really need to change is our mentality.” They left little doubt during Wednesday’s opening exchanges.
First, Yunus Musah rattled the crossbar with a 30-yard blast.
Then Christian Pulisic, Captain America, drove in and fired a shot. A few minutes later, Pulisic cut down Brazilian winger Raphinha, the first of several spirited fouls that raised the temperature of the match.
Pulisic was the American catalyst. He scored one goal, with a clever free kick; he almost got a second after halftime that would have given the Americans the lead.
However, Turner was probably the man of the match. His 11 saves were the most by a USMNT goalkeeper since Tim Howard’s 16 at the 2014 World Cup against Belgium. And they were emblematic of the American response, because Turner’s evening began as his weekend ended.
The undisputed number 1 of the USMNT was poor against Colombia. His rust, after half a season on the bench at Nottingham Forest, seemed visible. Then, in the 17th minute, with the ball at his feet, he opted for a meaningless pass, which Brazil intercepted. Seconds later he was defeated by Rodrygo; the US was behind; and Turner’s confidence seemed shaken.
But in the seventy minutes that followed, he rebuilt it, brick by brick, save after save.
“He stayed calm,” Berhalter said after the game. “And that’s the most important thing.”
The USMNT in general could have succumbed to the occasional Brazilian barrage. Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr. and then Endrick were all menacing. But Joe Scally was strong against his second elite winger in a row. Gio Reyna threw his shoulders at the Brazilian midfielders as they made passes. Tim Ream, 36 and a half steps behind, used his guile and composure to keep the USMNT steady by maintaining possession in his own penalty area. This was a performance by adults everywhere, from players young and old.
Now that the Copa América is approaching, it starts on June 20; The USMNT’s first match is June 23 against Bolivia – many concerns remain. Ream and Richards looked vulnerable in terms of pace. The back six were caught on the ball too often in dangerous areas. Antonee Robinson appeared somewhere between gassed and absent for the second game in a row. Ricardo Pepi, who started as a striker, barely staked his claim for a place in the 11.
But a draw with Brazil – only the second US result in 20 matches between these teams – was a statement: that this USMNT can take on giants on its day.
And it was a necessary reminder ahead of a major tournament: “We know we have a strong team,” Scally said on TNT. “We know we can make a deep run.”
