USMNT faces Brazil on Tuesday in final tune-up for CONCACAF Cup
(Via U.S. Soccer) – Coming off a 2-1 win against Peru, the U.S. Men’s National Team will test itself against five-time World Cup champion Brazil at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Tuesday in its final tune-up ahead of the CONCACAF Cup against Mexico on Oct. 10 at the Rose Bowl. Kickoff against Brazil is set for 8 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN2, UniMás and the Univision Deportes Network.
The match is the MNT’s sixth of the year against an opponent ranked in the top 20 in the world. The USA opened its year against 10th-ranked Chile, narrowly falling 3-2 on the road in Rancagua. In the four games against top 20 opponents since, the MNT has gone 3-0-1 with wins against rival Mexico in San Antonio, sixth-ranked Netherlands in Amsterdam and World Cup champion and then second-ranked Germany in Cologne.
The match will be the first between the U.S. and Brazil since the pair’s last meeting in 2012, a 4-1 win for the Seleção at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. The USA has defeated Brazil just once in 17 meetings all time, a 1-0 shutout in the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal.
The MNT is 10-2-2 all time at Gillette Stadium. In its last game at the venue, which came earlier this summer, the USA U.S. clinched the top spot in Group A at the Gold Cup with its1-0 win against Haiti.
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION:
GOALKEEPERS (3) : Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire)
DEFENDERS (8) : Ventura Alvarado (Club America), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Greg Garza (Atlas), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), Tim Ream (Fulham), Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City)
MIDFIELDERS (8) : Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Joe Corona (Veracruz), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution), Alfredo Morales (FC Ingolstadt), Danny Williams (Reading), DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland)
FORWARDS (6) : Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Aron Johannsson (Werder Bremen), Bobby Wood (Union Berlin), Jordan Morris (Stanford), Andrew Wooten (SV Sandhausen), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)
U.S. ROSTER NOTES:
Jozy Altidore scored the 28th and 29th goals of his career in the last match against Peru. Altidore now has four multi-goal games to his credit. He is one goal behind Brain McBride (30) for fourth on the MNT’s all-time goal-scoring list.
Six different players from this roster have scored for the USA in 2015: Jozy Altidore, John Brooks, Mix Diskerud, Aron Johannsson, Danny Williams and Gyasi Zardes.
In the match against Peru, a number of players returned to action after : Jermaine Jones was back in the U.S. starting lineup for the first time since Feb. 8; Geoff Cameron came on at the start of the second half, earning his first cap of 2015; Matt Besler, who came on as a sub in the second half, made his first MNT appearance since Feb. 8
Brad Guzan earned Golden Glove honors as the top goalkeeper at this summer’s Gold Cup. He has posted an 8-2-3 record since September of last year.
Gyasi Zardes was called in for his first MNT camp in January and has appeared in 14 games in 2015, starting in 11. The LA Galaxy forward has scored twice and assisted on four goals for the United States.
Bobby Wood was given the summer off to settle in with his new German club, Union Berlin. Wood has started all three of the team’s 2 Bundesliga games and scored his first goal on Aug. 16. The Hawaii-native scored late game-winners in back-to-back appearances in June,burying a goal in the 90th minute against Netherlands and following upwith another against Germany five days later. Bobby Wood made just his second international start of his career in the match against Peru on Sept. 4. His first came against Chile in the MNT’s opening match of 2015.
The last time Tim Howard was on the field for the USA, he made 15 saves in the MNT’s Round of 16 matchup with Belgium in the 2014 World Cup.
John Brooks has a pair of clutch international goals to his name. He headed in the game-winner against Ghana in the USA’s 2014 World Cup opener and scored the first of the MNT’s three second-half goals in the 4-3, comeback win against sixth-ranked Netherlands in June.
Ventura Alvarado has appeared in seven of the last eight MNT matches since making his debut in a U.S. uniform on March 25 against Denmark. He became cap-tied to the U.S. after starting in the first match of the Gold Cup against Honduras on July 7. Alvarado is a regular starter for the Club America team that captured the 2015 CONCACAF Champions League title and earned a trip to the FIFA Club World Cup.
Geoff Cameron has started and played 90 minutes in all of Stoke City’s 2015 Premier League matches. Cameron’s substitute appearance in Tuesday’s win against Peru was his first since Nov. 18, 2014, against Ireland. The game against Brazil will be a homecoming of sorts for the center back, who was born and raised in Attleboro, Massachusetts.
Michael Orozco returns to the MNT for the first time since June. Orozco – who moved to Club Tijuana this summer – came on in the second half of the game against Netherlands, where he played a part in the MNT’s comeback win.
Tim Ream, who recently completed a transfer to Fulham, earned honors as the Player of the Year for his former club Bolton in each of the last two seasons.
Jermaine Jones has recovered from the injury that kept him out of this summer’s Gold Cup and made his first appearance for the MNT since February’s 2-0 win against Panama.
Alfredo Morales played a key role in FC Ingolstadt securing first place in the second division in Germany last year and its subsequent promotion to the Bundesliga.
Yedlin has appeared in 14 of the 15 MNT matches in 2015 and has tallied three assists, which has him third on the team behind Michael Bradley (five) and Gyasi Zardes (four).
Jozy Altidore has four goals and an assist this year with the MNT. The Toronto FC forward was with the U.S. for the group stage of the Gold Cup. His
Aron Johannsson recently completed a transfer from Dutch club AZ Alkmaar to Bundesliga team Werder Bremen. In his final season with AZ, he recorded four goals in the team’s last three matches to help the team snatch the third spot in the Dutch Eredivisie and a place in the 2016 UEFA Europa League. Johansson made his Bundesliga debut in the opening game of the season against Schalke and followed up with his first start a week later in Werder’s match against Hertha BSC. On Sunday, the 24-year-old netted his first Bundesliga goal in Werder’s win against Borussia Monchengladbach.
This is the first camp with the senior MNT for Andrew Wooten. The German-American is off to a hot start in 2 Bundesliga at SV Sandhausen, having scored five goals in five games.
Zardes and Yedlin each made their 14th appearances of the year in in the match against Peru. That total ties the young attacking pair with Michael Bradley for the most MNT caps so far in 2015.
MILESTONE WATCH:
Jozy Altidore scored the 28th and 29th goals of his career in the last match against Peru. Altidore now has four multi-goal games to his credit. He is one goal behind Brain McBride (30) for fourth on the MNT’s all-time goal-scoring list.
Jurgen Klinsmann recorded his 42nd win as the leader of the MNT and is now one win behind Bob Bradley’s 43, which ranks second all-time amongst U.S. coaches.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
To be the best you’ve got to beat the best: The U.S. has proven that it wants to compete against the world’s top teams, with this matchup against Brazil being the MNT’s sixth against an opponent ranked in the top 20 of FIFA’s world rankings this year. The meeting is also the third in 2015 against a team ranked in the top six in the World.
USA vs. Brazil:
The U.S. holds a 1-16-0 record all-time against Brazil, with the two sides first meeting in 1930 in Rio de Janeiro in a match that ended 4-3 in Brazil’s favor
In the last meeting, Brazil defeated the MNT 4-1 at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. Neymar led the way for Brazil, scoring the opening goal of the game and then assisting on the next two. Herculez Gomez tallied for the USA, with Fabian Johnson setting him up with the assist.
The MNT’s lone win against the five-time World Cup champions came a 1-0 victory in the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal Currently the goalkeeping coach for this camp, Kasey Keller made 10 saves to earn the clean sheet in the match. Legendary Brazilian striker Romario saying after the game, “That is the best performance by a goalkeeper I have ever seen.”
This is the USA’s third game against a South American nation in 2015, having faced Chile in January and then Peru on Sept. 4 in Washington, D.C.
IN FOCUS: Brazil
Confederação Brasileira de Futebol
Founded: 1914
FIFA Affiliation: 1923
Head Coach: Dunga
FIFA World Ranking: 5
Best World Cup Finish: Champions: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002
Leading Cap-Winner: Roberto Palacios (128)
Leading Goalscorer: Teofil Cubillas (26)
Brazil Roster By Position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Jefferson (Botafogo), Marcelo Grohe (Gremio), Alisson (Internacional)
DEFENDERS (8): David Luiz (PSG), Marquinhos (PSG), Miranda (Inter Milan), Gabriel Paulista (Arsenal), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Filipe Luiz (Atletico Madrid), Danilo (Real Madrid), Douglas Santos (Atlético Mineiro)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Luis Gustavo (Wolfsburg), Fernandinho (Manchester City), Elias (Corinthians), Ramirez (Chelsea), Oscar (Chelsea), Firmino (Liverpool), Willian (Chelsea), Kaká (Orlando City SC), Lucas Lima (Santos)
FORWARDS (4): Neymar (Barcelona), Lucas (PSG), Hulk (Zenit St. Petersburg), Douglas Costa (Bayern Munich)
Brazil NOTES:
Brazil used a 10th minute goal from Hulk to defeat Costa Rica 1-0 on Saturday night at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.
Ten players from this roster were a part of Brazil’s 2014 World Cup roster which finished in fourth place.
The accolades for forward Neymar are numerous. He scored the most goals in UEFA Champions League in 2014-15, earned the 2014 FIFA World Cup Bronze Boot and the 2013 Confederations Cup Golden Ball and took honors as the South American Footballer of the year in 2011 and 2012.
10 players were part of league-championship winning teams in the top leagues in Europe last season (Three from Premier League champion Chelsea, three from Ligue 1 champion Paris St-Germain, and two that captured the 2014-15 UEFA Champions League Crown.)
Orlando City SC midfielder Kaka returns to the fold, the 2002 World Cup champion and 2007 FIFA Player of the Year back is back for Brazil for the first time in nearly a year.
Brazil participated in this summer’s Copa America and was eliminated by Paraguay in penalty kicks in the quarterfinals.
LAST TIME OUT:
On the field for the U.S.:
Sept. 4, 2015 – RFK Stadium – Washington, D.C. – International Friendly
USA 2 Jozy Altidore 59′ (pen), 68′
PER 1 Daniel Chavez 20′
Lineups:
USA: 1-Brad Guzan; 15-Michael Orozco (20-Geoff Cameron, 46), 3-Omar Gonzalez (19-Ventura Alvarado, 46), 6-John Brooks (5-Matt Besler, 63), 23-Tim Ream; 2-DeAndre Yedlin, 13-Jermaine Jones (14-Danny Williams, 72), 11-Alejandro Bedoya (10-Mix Diskerud, 46), 21-Gyasi Zardes; 17-Jozy Altidore (capt.), 18-Bobby Wood (9-Aron Johannsson, 71)
Subs Not Used: 7-Alfredo Morales, 12-Tim Howard, 24-Joe Corona, 26-Andrew Wooten
Head Coach: Jurgen Klinsmann
PER: 1-Pedro Gallese; 5-Carlos Zambrano, 6-Juan Manuel Vargas, 8-Christian Cueva (13-Edison Flores, 82), 10-Jefferson Farfan, 16-Carlos Lobaton (capt.) (19-Victor Yotun, 72), 17-Luis Advincula, 18-Andre Carrillo (7-Paolo Hurtado, 64), 21-Josepmir Ballon (24-Renato Tapia, 64), 22-Carlos Ascues, 23-Daniel Chavez (14-Ivan Bulos Guerrero, 82)
Subs Not Used: 2-Jair Cespedes, 3-Hansell Riojas, 4-Pedro Requena, 9-Jose Paolo Guerrero, 12-Diego Penny, 15-Christian Ramos, 20-Joel Sanchez
Head coach: Ricardo Gareca
Against Brazil
May 30, 2012 – FedEx Field – Landover, Md. – International Friendly
USA Herculez Gomez 45′
BRA Neymar 12′ (pen), Thiago Silva 26′, Marcelo 52′, Alexandre Pato 87′
Lineups:
USA : 1-Tim Howard; 6-Steve Cherundolo (2-Michael Parkhurst, 73), 5-Oguchi Onyewu, 3-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.), 23-Fabian Johnson (15-Edgar Castillo, 80); 4-Michael Bradley, 13-Jermaine Jones (14-Kyle Beckerman, 80), 7-Maurice Edu (8-Terrence Boyd, 73); 10-Landon Donovan, 9-Herculez Gomez, 16-Jose Torres (8-Clint Dempsey, 56)
Subs not used: 21-Clarence Goodson, 22-Nick Rimando
Head Coach: Jurgen Klinsmann
BRA : 12-Rafael; 21-Danilo, 14-Juan, 3-Thiago Silva (capt), 6-Marcelo (23-Alex Sandro, 89); 5-Sandro, 8-Romula, 10-Oscar; 20-Hulk (15-Casimiro, 82), 9-Leandro Damiao (19-Alexandre Pato, 64), 11-Neymar (7-Lucas, 84)
Subs not used: 1-Jefferson, 2-Rafael, 13-Bruno Uvini, 17-Wellington Nem, 18-Giuliano, 22-Neto
Head Coach: Mano Menezes
