It’s been dubbed an International Friendly, and everyone knows that means one thing: the match will end in a 1-1 draw. Although this does have the potential to be a one-sided affair in favor of Brazil, I doubt that it will be, and most who know the game would likely agree with me. Brazil is the superior team, without a doubt, but it has been a long time since a full-strength U.S. Men’s National team has been embarrassed or totally out-played (with the notable exception of the game against the Czechs in the World Cup). The fact of the matter is that the U.S. are capable of giving everyone a good fight, including the Brazilians.
Expecting a victory from the Yanks is a bit of a stretch, but a draw is certainly within reach. If the U.S. come out strong and are able to move the ball through the midfield and stretch the Brazilian defense, a win isn’t totally out of the question. Forget the whole “win the midfield battle” theory; the Americans need to get the ball past the midfield and force Brazil to win back possession in their own end. If they’re able to do that, the Brazilian midfielders will be running around a lot more than they want to, which could play to the favor of the Americans.
One area the U.S. still needs tremendous work on is finishing their chances. Eddie Johnson isn’t the answer. We simply do not have anything close to a world-class striker at the moment, and it’s tough to get results if you can’t find the back of the net. The games the U.S. lose are often very frustrating due to this fact, as we’re rarely dominated in possession or chances nowadays.
Both teams are going to be pretty close to full-strength. Let’s all hope that the managers keep their best players on the pitch for the entire game, and let’s also hope that both teams decide to continue attacking should the game be 1-1 at the 70th minute. The most boring play in football often occurs during the last 20 minutes of an international friendly with a tied score.
Bob Bradley will be looking to rebound after a poor showing from the young guns at Copa America. The United States have already shown that they can keep up with the best teams and give them a run for their money. The next step is obviously proving that they can get results and start playing better than the powerhouses. They still lack the creativity and skill of the Brazilian team, but their strength, conditioning, and resiliency may be just enough to get a good result if a little luck goes in their favor.
