For the first time in program history, the United States Men’s National Team held Brazil to a draw. Gregg Berhalter challenged his team after the lopsided 5-1 loss to Colombia this weekend and the players responded in a big way with a 1-1 draw against Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior and company. Aside from Rodrygo’s first match for Brazil, it was Christian Pulisic’s first-half free-kick equalizer and Matt Turner’s 11 saves that stole the show at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
Now it’s time for the USMNT to regroup and prepare for their Copa America opener against Bolivia on June 21. But before we look ahead, let’s reflect on the team’s performance:
Goalie: Matt Turner
Cast aside, Matt Turner was excellent. He made 11 saves, the most made by an American goalkeeper since the 15 against Tim Howard. Belgium at the 2014 World Cup – and it felt like each stage was as breathtaking as the next. Maybe Turner needed a game to shake off the rust from not playing regular Nottingham Forest. Any more of that and the USMNT could have a real chance in the Copa America. He won player of the match honors.
Rating: 8
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Right back: Joe Scally
Joe Scally may have needed help on defense at times, but who wouldn’t when your defensive mission is Vinicius Junior. Combined with Tim Weah and Reyna, Scally managed to keep Vini and the action in front of him by winning all three of his tackles. It’s your Copa America which starts right away and he will approach the tournament with complete confidence.
Rating: 7
Center Back: Chris Richards
There was a strange moment where he received a yellow card but it was overturned on a check to see if it was a red but Richards was pretty solid. There were too many moments where Brazil had shots on goal, but that was more down to not having a shield like Tyler Adams in front of the defense thanks to the performance of Richards and Tim Ream who were where they needed to be most of the time.
Rating: 6
Center Back: Tim Réam
Calm in their decision-making without Ream’s passing ability, there are quite a few situations that the USMNT can’t get out of because they insisted on playing from the back. If it was a competitive match, Brazil might have attacked the central defenders harder, but they did what they had to do.
Rating: 6
Leaving behind: Antonée Robinson
After one of his most fragile matches in the USMNT jersey against Colombia, Antonee Robinson responded well against Brazil. He came forward when he needed to get the attack involved, creating the team’s most chances alongside Weston McKennie with three. But even in doing so, Robinson did not neglect his defensive responsibilities by keeping Raphinha well contained during the match.
Rating: 7
Midfielder : Yunus Moussa
Rattling the crossbar with a first-half strike, Yunus Musah was unlucky not to score. Although he is still raw in many areas of his game, he is perhaps the most unpredictable member of the USMNT midfield after Reyna. Able to dribble from tight angles and win the ball back, Musah managed to keep Brazil on their toes and deserved a goal.
Rating: 6
Midfielder: Gio Reyna
This wasn’t a vintage Gio Reyna game, but in some ways that’s a good thing. As he did not play much during the World Cup in Qatar, he has worked on improving his defensive work rate since his free time at the World Cup in Qatar, and it showed. He made one tackle as well as four ball recoveries as he was a constant pest in midfield. It is clear that against the best teams, Reyna must be on the pitch. And if Tyler Adams isn’t 100% for the 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 while appearing on offense and defense. Although he could have 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 did everything he could with the opportunities he got.
Rating: 6
Forward: Tim Weah
Torn between focusing on defense and getting involved in the attack, Weah did a good job showing what he learned playing at the back. He was still able to test Alisson with two shots on target. You’re going to want Weah to go wild on offense once the tournament starts.
Rating: 5
Forward: Ricardo Pepi
Making his first start in 2024, Pepi had the thankless task of forcing Brazil into mistakes playing out from the back. Even though he didn’t save a shot, that doesn’t mean he didn’t make an impact. Berhalter will have to make tough decisions about what he will do against Uruguay as a striker during the group stage. Balogun should always be the preferred option in matches where the Americans are favored.
Rating: 5
Before: Christian Pulisic
Was awarded a free kick, and buried it after a bit of trickery from the USMNT to fool Alisson into the net. Inventive finishing and good work rate from the team captain, Pulisic could have had a brace and an assist if it was a weaker opponent. While there is room for improvement, Pulisic led by example in a bounce-back game.
Rating: 7
Substitute: Folarin Balogun
Coming off the bench, Balogun took a shot but didn’t see many touches as Brazil pushed for a winning goal.
Rating: 5
Substitute: Tyler Adams
After suffering a season-ending back injury, it’s just good to see Tyler Adams back and on the field. Fitting in a small role, I hope he can build on that in the Copa America.
Rating: 5
Substitute: Brenden Aaronson
He almost had a winner in the match but was denied by Alisson from close range. Exactly the kind of performance you expect coming off the bench.
Substitute: Johnny Cardoso
He came to slow down the game and was also on the ball often. He didn’t really make a mistake in an important appearance off the bench.
Rating: 6
Substitute: Shaq Moore
Made a few fouls to keep Brazil off balance and also spelled Scally.
Rating: N/A
Manager: Gregg Berhalter
Berhalter got the necessary reaction from his players after the 5-1 drubbing. They hurried along and seemed much more motivated. It had shades of the World Cup draw against England where the USMNT absorbed the pressure and got a point against all odds. This is not a team that can’t face Brazil without a bit of luck. Accepting that and doing what they could to contain Brazil was positive.
Rating: 7