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ORLANDO, Florida — The United States held Brazil to a challenging 1-1 draw at Camping World Stadium on Wednesday, closing out a string of pre-Copa America friendlies.
The Stars and Stripes recovered well after the stunning 5-1 loss to Colombia on Saturday, demonstrating a newfound energy in front of a crowd of 60,000.
Despite a strong start from the hosts, Brazil opened the scoring in the 17th minute after Rodrygo took advantage of poor distribution from USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner and a faulty American back-line. But the American team managed to get back into the game when a foul on Christian Pulisic by João Gomes just outside the box led to the most threatening opportunity of the half. America’s No. 10 lined up and fired a right-footed rocket into the lower left corner of the goal for the equalizer.
The second half saw more back and forth action, but the Gregg Berhalter’s men held Brazil at bay to maintain the draw and gain momentum heading into the Copa. The USMNT will now prepare to open their tournament June 23 against Bolívia at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Player ratings (0-10; 10 = best, 5 = average. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating.)
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 Chris Richards, 3 — Looked completely stunned by Rodrygo in the first goal, giving the Brazilian player too much space to take the advantage.
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.
Substitutes
FW Folarin Balogun, 5 — Probably proved himself as the starting striker for the Copa America in just under 25 minutes.
MF Johnny Cardoso, 4– Blended into the midfield well, matching the tempo of the match despite coming on as a second-half substitute.
MF Tyler Adams, NR — Came on for Musah in the 76th minute.
DF Shaq Moore, NR — Brought on for Scally in the final moments of the game.