Maybe last year's World Cup success for the United States really was a bit of
a fluke.
World Cup champion Brazil dominated the Americans on Saturday night, winning
1-0 and ending the U.S. team's chance to advance in the Confederations Cup.
Adriano scored the only goal in the 22nd minute, stripping the ball from
defender Gregg Berhalter and coming in alone on goalkeeper Tim Howard, who made
the initial save but had no chance to stop Adriano's shot off the rebound.
While the score was close, the game wasn't. The United States didn't have a
good shot on goal until the 61st minute, and Brazil so thoroughly controlled the
match that it seemed as if the field was titled toward Howard, who made several
outstanding saves, including a leaping stop on Ronaldinho in the 76th.
While the Americans advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals last year, their
best showing since 1930, they weren't close to matching Brazil in speed or
craftiness and dropped to 1-10 against the soccer's premier nation. They cannot
advance, even if they beat African champion Cameroon on Monday.
The United States, beaten 2-1 by Turkey on Thursday, has lost nine straight
games in Europe and 14 of its last 15 over the past decade. The loss came
exactly one year after Germany beat the Americans 1-0 in the World Cup
quarterfinals and on the fifth anniversary of the previous U.S. game in Stade de
Gerland - a 2-1 defeat to Iran that eliminated the United States from the 1998
World Cup.
For the second straight game, the crowd whistled during the playing of "The
Star-Spangled Banner." Several Brazilians fans in the crowd of 20,306 played
their samba drums throughout the game.
Adriano scored after he stole the ball outside the penalty area. Howard made
the save on the low, left-footed shot, but Adriano collected the rebound and put
another left-footed shot into the net from 15 yards out.
Both teams were missing many regulars. Berhalter was among just five players
in the U.S. starting lineup who played in last year's loss to Germany, and the
absence of injured midfielders Claudio Reyna and John O'Brien led to an
inability to hold the ball. Brazil was missing Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Roberto
Carlos, key players who helped win the nation's fifth World Cup title.
The best U.S. chance to score in the first half came during injury time, when
Earnie Stewart came down the right side and sent the ball into the middle to
Landon Donovan, who got off a shot from about 8 yards that went wide. Brazilian
defender Kleberson tripped Donovan on the play, but only after the shot had been
taken.
Donovan, who at age 21 has become the most impressive American player other
than goalkeepers, had another near-miss 16 minutes into the second half.
Brazilian goalkeeper Dida, who had nearly nothing to do all night, dived to his
right and pushed away Donovan's low, angled shot.
