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US Men's National Team (6 Viewers)

No one had a nightmare game although I'm still not sold on scally. Add Dest to that line up tonight and things might have gotten really fun.
You have to find a way to give Scally some credit tonight. He went mano a mano against one of the worlds best players.

Scally will never be Dest offensively but I don't think Dest could have squared up with Vini all night like Scally did.
 
Very entertaining match.
US on the back foot most of the game but had our chances.

Is Columbia that much more worrisome than Brazil at this point? Or do we just match up better style-wise. Honestly the Columbia game was 2-1 before the subs but it just never felt like we had a chance. This game seemed like we did.

No one had a nightmare game although I'm still not sold on scally. Add Dest to that line up tonight and things might have gotten really fun.
I mean, it's not Princeton, but they're worrisome.
 
No one had a nightmare game although I'm still not sold on scally. Add Dest to that line up tonight and things might have gotten really fun.
You have to find a way to give Scally some credit tonight. He went mano a mano against one of the worlds best players.

Scally will never be Dest offensively but I don't think Dest could have squared up with Vini all night like Scally did.
And Rodrygo
 
While Brazil certainly had more chances, between Musah's cross bar and the two great saves Allison made in the second half on Pulisic and Aaronson, I feel pretty good thinking about the team offensively.
 
for all the talk of the most talented US player pool ever, we still had literally one defender who didn’t scare me to death with the ball at his feet. It’s not really Gregg’s fault, but we’ve regressed in playing out of the back. But I don’t know the players to change that.
 
Hopefully this game will springboard Turner’s confidence a bit. Fun game to watch. Still don’t feel great about the offense if Pulisic has an off game or gets hurt - seems like so many of the good chances involve him.

Oh, and playing out the back without Ream would terrify me. It’s a shame he doesn’t have the speed to get back on a break.
 
for all the talk of the most talented US player pool ever, we still had literally one defender who didn’t scare me to death with the ball at his feet. It’s not really Gregg’s fault, but we’ve regressed in playing out of the back. But I don’t know the players to change that.
I honestly have no idea what will happen if Ream ages out. We have zero ball playing CB's outside of Ream. I really hoped Richards would develop but even though he had a solid EPL year, you can see how much less confident he is than Ream on the ball.

The most like for like player offensively in our entire system for Ream is McGlynn, but he has no defensive chops at all.
 
Much better, but also just a couple GKs who played well. So many chances.

Turner didn't quite go full Keller, but it was close by the end.

US didn't deserve to win, but if they'd won it wouldn't have been undeserved either. 1-1-19 vs Brazil, so you have to celebrate this one.

I have seen enough of Reyna + Wes + d-mid. It's no coincidence that McKennie was invisible (again) with Reyna on the field IMO.

And I know this won't be a popular opinion, but I think I like Adams and Cardoso together. Which means you have to choose between Wes and Reyna. I think I'd go with Wes, but I wouldn't die on that hill.

The #9 position is weak enough that I'd seriously think about switching the formation. Having a center forward on the field is just too much of a handicap.

We subbed on Balogan. They subbed on Martinellis and Endrik. Oof.
 
for all the talk of the most talented US player pool ever, we still had literally one defender who didn’t scare me to death with the ball at his feet. It’s not really Gregg’s fault, but we’ve regressed in playing out of the back. But I don’t know the players to change that.
the obvious answer is and has been to stop trying to do that. We don't have the players and can't transfer players in to fit . Adapt our style to our player pool.
 
for all the talk of the most talented US player pool ever, we still had literally one defender who didn’t scare me to death with the ball at his feet. It’s not really Gregg’s fault, but we’ve regressed in playing out of the back. But I don’t know the players to change that.
the obvious answer is and has been to stop trying to do that. We don't have the players and can't transfer players in to fit . Adapt our style to our player pool.
We are 6 years into the GGG era. If there is one thing we know for sure, is that he is not flexible tactically.
 
for all the talk of the most talented US player pool ever, we still had literally one defender who didn’t scare me to death with the ball at his feet. It’s not really Gregg’s fault, but we’ve regressed in playing out of the back. But I don’t know the players to change that.
the obvious answer is and has been to stop trying to do that. We don't have the players and can't transfer players in to fit . Adapt our style to our player pool.
Ridiculous idea.
 
Wow. Should be winning
Will be interesting to see xG for tonight. I think US will be ahead.

My guess will be 1.8x vs 1.5x
I've not found anything official yet - but CBS had this in their write-up of the game:

They (Brazil) put nearly half of their 24 shots on frame but posted just 2.2 expected goals, while the U.S. were more efficient with their chances and mustered 1.2 expected goals



ETA - I do wonder how that last "clearance" from Vini Jr would count towards xG
 
If there was ever a player that needed to see a goal go in it was Musah.

I think that is now the third time in the last couple of years that he just missed a golazzo by inches.
 
It is probably meaningless because they were friendlies but it was interesting to see Mexico, Canada and US all get blown out in their first friendly and all three bounce back for a good game in their second friendly.
 
These are ESPN's player ratings - which feel overly harsh, given the actual result:



GK Matt Turner, 6 -- Made a couple important saves throughout the match, but simple errors continue to haunt him. Poor distribution, once again, led to a goal.

DF Joe Scally, 3 -- It'll be difficult to convince supporters that he's capable of filling the Sergiño Dest void with another faulty performance.

DF Tim Ream, 4 -- Another shaky performance from the Fulham center-back, who struggles to convey security and strength in the back-line.

DF Antonee Robinson, 4 -- Raphinha quickly took control of Robinson's flank, constantly putting the defender in a vulnerable position.

MF Weston McKennie, 3 -- At times, he appeared to be invisible in the midfield. He had a couple of defensive moments but not nearly enough from an otherwise very capable player.

MF Yunus Musah, 5 -- His first shot on goal could've been one of his brightest moments, but he was otherwise a constant source of offensive pressure.

MF Giovanni Reyna, 4 -- More is definitely expected from the midfielder, who has the capacity to be the difference-maker.

FW Timothy Weah, 5 -- He had a few bright offensive moments throughout the match and also played a key role in keeping the midfield tight and in order.

FW Ricardo Pepi, 3 -- He failed to make his case for starting striker against Brazil after having very little impact on the ball.

FW Christian Pulisic, 6 -- Credit is given where credit is due. The close-range free kick was a stunner, and the AC Milan man continuously found a way to be a point of discomfort for the Brazilians.
 
These are ESPN's player ratings - which feel overly harsh, given the actual result:



GK Matt Turner, 6 -- Made a couple important saves throughout the match, but simple errors continue to haunt him. Poor distribution, once again, led to a goal.

DF Joe Scally, 3 -- It'll be difficult to convince supporters that he's capable of filling the Sergiño Dest void with another faulty performance.

DF Tim Ream, 4 -- Another shaky performance from the Fulham center-back, who struggles to convey security and strength in the back-line.

DF Antonee Robinson, 4 -- Raphinha quickly took control of Robinson's flank, constantly putting the defender in a vulnerable position.

MF Weston McKennie, 3 -- At times, he appeared to be invisible in the midfield. He had a couple of defensive moments but not nearly enough from an otherwise very capable player.

MF Yunus Musah, 5 -- His first shot on goal could've been one of his brightest moments, but he was otherwise a constant source of offensive pressure.

MF Giovanni Reyna, 4 -- More is definitely expected from the midfielder, who has the capacity to be the difference-maker.

FW Timothy Weah, 5 -- He had a few bright offensive moments throughout the match and also played a key role in keeping the midfield tight and in order.

FW Ricardo Pepi, 3 -- He failed to make his case for starting striker against Brazil after having very little impact on the ball.

FW Christian Pulisic, 6 -- Credit is given where credit is due. The close-range free kick was a stunner, and the AC Milan man continuously found a way to be a point of discomfort for the Brazilians.
Wow, those are shockingly low. Was some one just trying to get clicks or something?

Those are ratings you see when you lose by three to a team significantly worse than you, not drawing a team significantly better. And this was not even a park the bus draw. The US created multiple good chances to win that game even if Brazil were the stronger team.
 
These are ESPN's player ratings - which feel overly harsh, given the actual result:



GK Matt Turner, 6 -- Made a couple important saves throughout the match, but simple errors continue to haunt him. Poor distribution, once again, led to a goal.

DF Joe Scally, 3 -- It'll be difficult to convince supporters that he's capable of filling the Sergiño Dest void with another faulty performance.

DF Tim Ream, 4 -- Another shaky performance from the Fulham center-back, who struggles to convey security and strength in the back-line.

DF Antonee Robinson, 4 -- Raphinha quickly took control of Robinson's flank, constantly putting the defender in a vulnerable position.

MF Weston McKennie, 3 -- At times, he appeared to be invisible in the midfield. He had a couple of defensive moments but not nearly enough from an otherwise very capable player.

MF Yunus Musah, 5 -- His first shot on goal could've been one of his brightest moments, but he was otherwise a constant source of offensive pressure.

MF Giovanni Reyna, 4 -- More is definitely expected from the midfielder, who has the capacity to be the difference-maker.

FW Timothy Weah, 5 -- He had a few bright offensive moments throughout the match and also played a key role in keeping the midfield tight and in order.

FW Ricardo Pepi, 3 -- He failed to make his case for starting striker against Brazil after having very little impact on the ball.

FW Christian Pulisic, 6 -- Credit is given where credit is due. The close-range free kick was a stunner, and the AC Milan man continuously found a way to be a point of discomfort for the Brazilians.
Thank you, Hercules Gomez.
 
These are ESPN's player ratings - which feel overly harsh, given the actual result:



GK Matt Turner, 6 -- Made a couple important saves throughout the match, but simple errors continue to haunt him. Poor distribution, once again, led to a goal.

DF Joe Scally, 3 -- It'll be difficult to convince supporters that he's capable of filling the Sergiño Dest void with another faulty performance.

DF Tim Ream, 4 -- Another shaky performance from the Fulham center-back, who struggles to convey security and strength in the back-line.

DF Antonee Robinson, 4 -- Raphinha quickly took control of Robinson's flank, constantly putting the defender in a vulnerable position.

MF Weston McKennie, 3 -- At times, he appeared to be invisible in the midfield. He had a couple of defensive moments but not nearly enough from an otherwise very capable player.

MF Yunus Musah, 5 -- His first shot on goal could've been one of his brightest moments, but he was otherwise a constant source of offensive pressure.

MF Giovanni Reyna, 4 -- More is definitely expected from the midfielder, who has the capacity to be the difference-maker.

FW Timothy Weah, 5 -- He had a few bright offensive moments throughout the match and also played a key role in keeping the midfield tight and in order.

FW Ricardo Pepi, 3 -- He failed to make his case for starting striker against Brazil after having very little impact on the ball.

FW Christian Pulisic, 6 -- Credit is given where credit is due. The close-range free kick was a stunner, and the AC Milan man continuously found a way to be a point of discomfort for the Brazilians.
Thank you, Hercules Gomez.

I should have guessed. He follows the Lalas playbook of overstating everything in the hopes of clicks.

I am sad that so many people enjoy this style of "journalism". The days of a Peter Gammons style are dead and probably never coming back.
 
These are ESPN's player ratings - which feel overly harsh, given the actual result:



GK Matt Turner, 6 -- Made a couple important saves throughout the match, but simple errors continue to haunt him. Poor distribution, once again, led to a goal.

DF Joe Scally, 3 -- It'll be difficult to convince supporters that he's capable of filling the Sergiño Dest void with another faulty performance.

DF Tim Ream, 4 -- Another shaky performance from the Fulham center-back, who struggles to convey security and strength in the back-line.

DF Antonee Robinson, 4 -- Raphinha quickly took control of Robinson's flank, constantly putting the defender in a vulnerable position.

MF Weston McKennie, 3 -- At times, he appeared to be invisible in the midfield. He had a couple of defensive moments but not nearly enough from an otherwise very capable player.

MF Yunus Musah, 5 -- His first shot on goal could've been one of his brightest moments, but he was otherwise a constant source of offensive pressure.

MF Giovanni Reyna, 4 -- More is definitely expected from the midfielder, who has the capacity to be the difference-maker.

FW Timothy Weah, 5 -- He had a few bright offensive moments throughout the match and also played a key role in keeping the midfield tight and in order.

FW Ricardo Pepi, 3 -- He failed to make his case for starting striker against Brazil after having very little impact on the ball.

FW Christian Pulisic, 6 -- Credit is given where credit is due. The close-range free kick was a stunner, and the AC Milan man continuously found a way to be a point of discomfort for the Brazilians.
Thank you, Hercules Gomez.

I should have guessed. He follows the Lalas playbook of overstating everything in the hopes of clicks.

I am sad that so many people enjoy this style of "journalism". The days of a Peter Gammons style are dead and probably never coming back.
I have nothing to support my claim, it was probably ChatGPT. It's more like a blend of Herc's bitterness and Charlie Davies' word choices.
 
These are ESPN's player ratings - which feel overly harsh, given the actual result:



GK Matt Turner, 6 -- Made a couple important saves throughout the match, but simple errors continue to haunt him. Poor distribution, once again, led to a goal.

DF Joe Scally, 3 -- It'll be difficult to convince supporters that he's capable of filling the Sergiño Dest void with another faulty performance.

DF Tim Ream, 4 -- Another shaky performance from the Fulham center-back, who struggles to convey security and strength in the back-line.

DF Antonee Robinson, 4 -- Raphinha quickly took control of Robinson's flank, constantly putting the defender in a vulnerable position.

MF Weston McKennie, 3 -- At times, he appeared to be invisible in the midfield. He had a couple of defensive moments but not nearly enough from an otherwise very capable player.

MF Yunus Musah, 5 -- His first shot on goal could've been one of his brightest moments, but he was otherwise a constant source of offensive pressure.

MF Giovanni Reyna, 4 -- More is definitely expected from the midfielder, who has the capacity to be the difference-maker.

FW Timothy Weah, 5 -- He had a few bright offensive moments throughout the match and also played a key role in keeping the midfield tight and in order.

FW Ricardo Pepi, 3 -- He failed to make his case for starting striker against Brazil after having very little impact on the ball.

FW Christian Pulisic, 6 -- Credit is given where credit is due. The close-range free kick was a stunner, and the AC Milan man continuously found a way to be a point of discomfort for the Brazilians.
Thank you, Hercules Gomez.

I should have guessed. He follows the Lalas playbook of overstating everything in the hopes of clicks.

I am sad that so many people enjoy this style of "journalism". The days of a Peter Gammons style are dead and probably never coming back.
Not Herc. It’s a woman. I think Jeffrey Carlisle used to do them. Here made a point of praising Ream do he’d be just as puzzled by a 4 as I was. Also seemed incredibly harsh on poor Scally, who at least worked his socks off.
 
Is Chris Richards missing from that list? If Ream got a 4, I shudder to think what Richards got....


Author is someone I don't recognize - Lizzy Becherano

And somehow I missed Richards in my cut/paste:

DF Chris Richards, 3 -- Looked completely stunned by Rodrygo in the first goal, giving the Brazilian player too much space to take the advantage.



Honestly , when I first read them, I just kind of assumed she watched the first 15 minutes, and then anticipated the rest of the game as she wrote the reviews/ratings.
 
Yeah, a 3 for Scally is absolutely absurd. He was up against arguably the best player in the world and that player didn't kill him. That's a 5 minimum even if he gives you NOTHING at the other end.

They drew and easily could have beaten one of the top 3 teams in the world (I know its a friendly, but their A group was out there) and only TWO players had even average games? That's just nonsensical.
 
These are ESPN's player ratings - which feel overly harsh, given the actual result:



GK Matt Turner, 6 -- Made a couple important saves throughout the match, but simple errors continue to haunt him. Poor distribution, once again, led to a goal.

DF Joe Scally, 3 -- It'll be difficult to convince supporters that he's capable of filling the Sergiño Dest void with another faulty performance.

DF Tim Ream, 4 -- Another shaky performance from the Fulham center-back, who struggles to convey security and strength in the back-line.

DF Antonee Robinson, 4 -- Raphinha quickly took control of Robinson's flank, constantly putting the defender in a vulnerable position.

MF Weston McKennie, 3 -- At times, he appeared to be invisible in the midfield. He had a couple of defensive moments but not nearly enough from an otherwise very capable player.

MF Yunus Musah, 5 -- His first shot on goal could've been one of his brightest moments, but he was otherwise a constant source of offensive pressure.

MF Giovanni Reyna, 4 -- More is definitely expected from the midfielder, who has the capacity to be the difference-maker.

FW Timothy Weah, 5 -- He had a few bright offensive moments throughout the match and also played a key role in keeping the midfield tight and in order.

FW Ricardo Pepi, 3 -- He failed to make his case for starting striker against Brazil after having very little impact on the ball.

FW Christian Pulisic, 6 -- Credit is given where credit is due. The close-range free kick was a stunner, and the AC Milan man continuously found a way to be a point of discomfort for the Brazilians.
Completely absurd and inexcusable. The average should be somewhere between 6 an 7 for this result...not 4.
 
These are ESPN's player ratings - which feel overly harsh, given the actual result:



GK Matt Turner, 6 -- Made a couple important saves throughout the match, but simple errors continue to haunt him. Poor distribution, once again, led to a goal.

DF Joe Scally, 3 -- It'll be difficult to convince supporters that he's capable of filling the Sergiño Dest void with another faulty performance.

DF Tim Ream, 4 -- Another shaky performance from the Fulham center-back, who struggles to convey security and strength in the back-line.

DF Antonee Robinson, 4 -- Raphinha quickly took control of Robinson's flank, constantly putting the defender in a vulnerable position.

MF Weston McKennie, 3 -- At times, he appeared to be invisible in the midfield. He had a couple of defensive moments but not nearly enough from an otherwise very capable player.

MF Yunus Musah, 5 -- His first shot on goal could've been one of his brightest moments, but he was otherwise a constant source of offensive pressure.

MF Giovanni Reyna, 4 -- More is definitely expected from the midfielder, who has the capacity to be the difference-maker.

FW Timothy Weah, 5 -- He had a few bright offensive moments throughout the match and also played a key role in keeping the midfield tight and in order.

FW Ricardo Pepi, 3 -- He failed to make his case for starting striker against Brazil after having very little impact on the ball.

FW Christian Pulisic, 6 -- Credit is given where credit is due. The close-range free kick was a stunner, and the AC Milan man continuously found a way to be a point of discomfort for the Brazilians.
Completely absurd and inexcusable. The average should be somewhere between 6 an 7 for this result...not 4.
Agreed.

FotMob had Pepi as the low with 6.5, and Turner as MoTM with 8.3,

Most of the players were in the 6.5-7 range, with Pulisic at 7.9 and Jedi at 7.8.


But what really annoyed me - the comments don't seem to match what I watched. Turner: "A couple important saves" - at this level, they are all important, and he made 11. Sure his distribution was not great - but that is why he does not get a 9 or 10.

And the negative comments on the defense belies what they were trying to do - close down spaces, prevent good shots, and allow the occasional long shot. Brazil broke through a few times, but for much of the game, the defense limited Brazil to low percentage chances.

And if you really think the defense was that terrible - then, almost by definition, Turner had an outstanding game, limiting Brazil to a single goal.
 
These are ESPN's player ratings - which feel overly harsh, given the actual result:



GK Matt Turner, 6 -- Made a couple important saves throughout the match, but simple errors continue to haunt him. Poor distribution, once again, led to a goal.

DF Joe Scally, 3 -- It'll be difficult to convince supporters that he's capable of filling the Sergiño Dest void with another faulty performance.

DF Tim Ream, 4 -- Another shaky performance from the Fulham center-back, who struggles to convey security and strength in the back-line.

DF Antonee Robinson, 4 -- Raphinha quickly took control of Robinson's flank, constantly putting the defender in a vulnerable position.

MF Weston McKennie, 3 -- At times, he appeared to be invisible in the midfield. He had a couple of defensive moments but not nearly enough from an otherwise very capable player.

MF Yunus Musah, 5 -- His first shot on goal could've been one of his brightest moments, but he was otherwise a constant source of offensive pressure.

MF Giovanni Reyna, 4 -- More is definitely expected from the midfielder, who has the capacity to be the difference-maker.

FW Timothy Weah, 5 -- He had a few bright offensive moments throughout the match and also played a key role in keeping the midfield tight and in order.

FW Ricardo Pepi, 3 -- He failed to make his case for starting striker against Brazil after having very little impact on the ball.

FW Christian Pulisic, 6 -- Credit is given where credit is due. The close-range free kick was a stunner, and the AC Milan man continuously found a way to be a point of discomfort for the Brazilians.
Thank you, Hercules Gomez.

I should have guessed. He follows the Lalas playbook of overstating everything in the hopes of clicks.

I am sad that so many people enjoy this style of "journalism". The days of a Peter Gammons style are dead and probably never coming back.

Well we're all talking about it so I guess they got what they wanted.

Agree though, wish there was a way to put certain writers on ignore because this would definitely be one of them.
 
These are ESPN's player ratings - which feel overly harsh, given the actual result:



GK Matt Turner, 6 -- Made a couple important saves throughout the match, but simple errors continue to haunt him. Poor distribution, once again, led to a goal.

DF Joe Scally, 3 -- It'll be difficult to convince supporters that he's capable of filling the Sergiño Dest void with another faulty performance.

DF Tim Ream, 4 -- Another shaky performance from the Fulham center-back, who struggles to convey security and strength in the back-line.

DF Antonee Robinson, 4 -- Raphinha quickly took control of Robinson's flank, constantly putting the defender in a vulnerable position.

MF Weston McKennie, 3 -- At times, he appeared to be invisible in the midfield. He had a couple of defensive moments but not nearly enough from an otherwise very capable player.

MF Yunus Musah, 5 -- His first shot on goal could've been one of his brightest moments, but he was otherwise a constant source of offensive pressure.

MF Giovanni Reyna, 4 -- More is definitely expected from the midfielder, who has the capacity to be the difference-maker.

FW Timothy Weah, 5 -- He had a few bright offensive moments throughout the match and also played a key role in keeping the midfield tight and in order.

FW Ricardo Pepi, 3 -- He failed to make his case for starting striker against Brazil after having very little impact on the ball.

FW Christian Pulisic, 6 -- Credit is given where credit is due. The close-range free kick was a stunner, and the AC Milan man continuously found a way to be a point of discomfort for the Brazilians.
Completely absurd and inexcusable. The average should be somewhere between 6 an 7 for this result...not 4.
Agreed.

FotMob had Pepi as the low with 6.5, and Turner as MoTM with 8.3,

Most of the players were in the 6.5-7 range, with Pulisic at 7.9 and Jedi at 7.8.


But what really annoyed me - the comments don't seem to match what I watched. Turner: "A couple important saves" - at this level, they are all important, and he made 11. Sure his distribution was not great - but that is why he does not get a 9 or 10.

And the negative comments on the defense belies what they were trying to do - close down spaces, prevent good shots, and allow the occasional long shot. Brazil broke through a few times, but for much of the game, the defense limited Brazil to low percentage chances.

And if you really think the defense was that terrible - then, almost by definition, Turner had an outstanding game, limiting Brazil to a single goal.
This is where I'm at. We played the currently rated #5 team in the world. We tied them and felt liked it was deserved. We shouldn't have a rating below 5 IMO. You don't tie a team like Brazil without a huge team effort.

You're right about the comments too. Pulisic.... Scored a great goal and was continuously made Brazil uncomortable... 6? WTF? That description sounds like a high 7 or low 8 rating, but then it's a 6.

Like you said, according to this journalist the defense was terrible and Turner had 11 saves, but they give him a 6?

Scally made the current Ballon d'Or favorite somewhat invisible on the night and he gets "another faulty performance"?

Pretty sure ESPN needs to find a new soccer journalist, because this is just terrible all around.
 
CBS Player ratings - more in line with what I saw

(in fairness, I am I-friends with Chuck, but I thought these rating were much more thought out - my only quibble would be Weah, who I thought had a better, more complete game)





Goalkeeper: Matt Turner
Distribution aside, Matt Turner was excellent. He made a whopping 11 saves -- the most by any American goalkeeper since Tim Howard's 15 against Belgium at the 2014 World Cup -- and it felt like each stop was as stunning as the next. Perhaps Turner needed a match to shake off rust from not playing regularly at Nottingham Forest. More of that and the USMNT may have a real chance at Copa America. He takes home my player of the match honors.

Rating: 8


Right back: Joe Scally
Joe Scally may have needed help on defense at times, but who wouldn't when your defensive assignment is Vinicius Junior. Combined with Tim Weah and Reyna, Scally was able to keep Vini and the action in front of him by winning all three of his tackles. That's your Copa America starting right back and he's going to come into the tournament with confidence.

Rating: 7

Center back: Chris Richards
Had a weird moment where he received a yellow card but it was rescinded during a check to see if it was a red but Richards was mostly solid. There were too many moments during which Brazil had shots on goal but that was more down to not having a shield like Tyler Adams in front of the defense than it was down to the perofornace of Richards and Tim Ream who were where they needed to be at most times.

Rating: 6

Center back: Tim Ream
Calm in his decision making without Ream's passing ability, there are quite a few situations that the USMNT doesn't get out of since they were adamant on playing out of the back. If this was a competitive match, Brazil may have gone at the central defenders harder but they did what they needed to do.

Rating: 6

Left Back: Antonee Robinson
After one of his shakiest matches in a USMNT shirt against Colombia, Antonee Robinson responded well against Brazil. He went forward when he needed to get the attack involved creating the joint-most chances on the team alongside Weston McKennie with three. But even while doing that, Robinson didn't neglect his defensive responsibilities keeping Raphinha well contained during the game.

Rating: 7

Midfielder: Yunus Musah
Rattling the crossbar with a strike in the first half, Yunus Musah was unlucky to not score. While he's still raw in plenty of areas of his game, he may be the most unpredictable member of the USMNT midfield after Reyna. Able to dribble out of tight angles and win the ball back, Musah was able to keep Brazil on their toes and deserved a goal.

Rating: 6

Midfielder: Gio Reyna
It wasn't a vintage Gio Reyna game, but in some ways that's a good thing. Since not featuring much during the World Cup in Qatar, he has worked on improving his defensive work rate since his spare playing time at the Qatar World Cup, and it has showed. He made a tackle along with four ball recoveries as he was a constant pest in midfield. It's clear that against top teams Reyna needs to be on the pitch. And if Tyler Adams isn't fully at 100% for Copa America, then Reyna will be one of the first names on the team sheet.

Rating: 6

Midfielder: Weston McKennie
McKennie did a little bit of everything as he popped up in attack and defending. While it feels like he could've done more with the ball at his feet, he was still facing Brazil -- a tough draw for any player. McKennie is at his best when he's on the ball more, but he made as much as he could with the opportunities he had.

Rating: 6

Forward: Tim Weah
Split between focusing on defense and getting involved in the attack, Weah did a good job of showing what he has learned from playing at wing back. He was still able to test Alisson with two shots on target. You're going to want Weah unleashed in the attack once the tournament begins.

Rating: 5

Forward: Ricardo Pepi
Making his first start of 2024, Pepi had a thankless task of pressing Brazil into making errors playing out of the back. While he didn't register a shot, that doesn't mean that he didn't make an impact. Berhalter will have tough decisions about what he does against Uruguay at striker during the group stage. Balogun should still be the preferred option in games where the Americans are favored.

Rating: 5

Forward: Christian Pulisic
Earned a free kick, and the buried it after a bit of trickery from the USMNT to fool Alisson in the net. An inventive finish and a strong work rate from the team captain, Pulisic could've had a brace and an assist if this were a weaker opponent. While there was room for improvement, this was leading by example from Pulisic in a bounce-back match.

Rating: 7

Substitute: Folarin Balogun
Coming off the bench, Balogun got a shot off but didn't see many touches as Brazil pushed for a winning goal.

Rating: 5

Substitute: Tyler Adams
After dealing with a back injury to finish the season, it's just good to see Tyler Adams back and on the pitch. Tidy in a small role, hopefully he can build on that at Copa America.

Rating: 5

Substitute: Brenden Aaronson
Almost had a winner in the match but was denied by Alisson from close range. Just the kind of performance that you want coming off the bench.

Substitute: Johnny Cardoso
Came on to slow the game down and also was on the ball often. He didn't really put a foot wrong in an important appearance off the bench.

Rating: 6

Substitute: Shaq Moore
Committed some fouls to keep Brazil off balance and also spelled Scally.

Rating: N/A

Manager: Gregg Berhalter
Berhalter got the reaction needed out of his players following the 5-1 drubbing. They pressed and looked much more driven. This had shades of the World Cup draw against England where the USMNT absorbed pressure and got a point against all odds. This isn't a team that can't go toe to toe with Brazil without some luck. Accepting that and doing what they could to hold Brazil was a positive.

Rating: 7
 
Tom Bogert

@tombogert

BREAKING: USMNT assistant B.J. Callaghan is the frontrunner to be named the next Nashville SC head coach, per sources.Nothing done yet. The sides are in talks over a deal.Callaghan was briefly USMNT interim manager, winning Nations Leagues last summer
 
I thought we played OK overall, but nowhere near our best. Brazil's midfield was either loafing thru a friendly, or suspect as a unit IMO. We had trouble getting out of our 3rd a bunch, but for the most part once we did that they didn't put up much resistance thru the middle. They also created a lot of decent chances and forced Turner to get a result for us too.

Not agreeing with that top set of ratings or anything, but I do think the result hides a few things. We continued to turn the ball over with avoidable mistakes for example. Reyna and McKennie don't seem to be able to complement each other, we don't have a #9 that seems impactful against decent teams, etc.
 
Not going to get into the ratings kerfuffle but make no mistake...Brazil were the better side. Not by a mile as in years past but for every goal the US couldve had, Brazil could've had one or 2 as well.

The US was just as lucky to draw as they were to lose 3-1 or win 3-1. Crazy match and highly entertaining. 2nd half seemed a bit one sided though.
 

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