Confederations Cup final: Brazil 3, United States 2

The Americans led 2-0 in this. No. Really. Led 2-0 at the half, and deserved it. But Brazil scored in the first 40 seconds of the second half, and probably everyone watching who has seen even a bit of soccer in his/her lifetime had to realize that the Yanks were highly unlikely to keep Brazil from scoring. As often as it took to win.

But at the end of the day, at the end of the tournament, it was an overwhelmingly positive experience for the U.S. national team.

First, a bit more about the Brazil-USA match.

Yes, United States, 2-nil, 27 minutes in, and stayed that way till halftime. I remarked in my running commentary (in the item before this one) that those 30 minutes or so, from the second goal to kickoff in the second half, might have been the high-water mark for U.S. fans, emotionally, in a FIFA-sanctioned tournament. In a final, against five-time World Cup champion Brazil, and you’re up 2-0 — and deserve it. It doesn’t get any better. It didn’t last, and we can’t say we were surprised. That was Brazil. But we’ll always have Paris. Or that half-hour on Sunday afternoon, June 28, 2009, anyway.

Great goal, actually sublime goal from Clint Dempsey in the 10th minute, redirecting a cross from Jonathan Spector and into the goal inside the far post. We have to assume that is exactly what he intended, and I imagine it was, but for an American even to attempt a shot like that was … well, beyond ambitious. It was arrogant. Which fits Dempsey to a T. But he took it and he made it.

I’ve been critical of many facets of Dempsey’s play in this tournament, but that was a goal I’m not sure any other American player — living or dead — could have made. He was sprinting, just inside the box, and Spector’s nice, looping cross came in from over Dempsey’s right shoulder, and Dempsey somehow did the calculus inside his head and came up with a solution that had him swing his right leg in a crossing semi-circle, from right to left, that caught up to the ball as it went past him, adding a touch of speed to it but, more importantly, changing its path just enough that it eluded Brazil keeper Julio Cesar and went into the net.

There are hustle goals, and headers, and there are monster cracks from distance, but in terms of improvising while sprinting, and playing a ball that is coming in over your right shoulder … I’ve never seen a guy playing for the United States do that. Maybe no Yank except Clint Dempsey even attempts it. Got to give him credit for that. Third goal in three matches, as well.

Second goal, also very nice. An outstanding display of give-and-go counterattacking that yielded a goal by Landon Donovan in the 27th minute.

The U.S. came out using the tactics that worked so well against Spain. Keep eight back, counterattack carefully, never sending too many guys forward. This worked perfectly.

Ricardo Clark won a ball that was just rolling past him just outside the box at the U.S. end, and he looked up and saw Landon ahead of him, 15-20 yards. What Landon was doing up there might be fun to know. Did he somehow feel a turnover coming? Must have, because Landon doesn’t shirk on defense, and in theory he should have been about box-high, defending with the other backs and mids.

But Landon was nearer the half line than the box, and as Clark sent the ball forward, Landon took off running and caught up to it just as it passed him.

I don’t know if anyone else has noticed this, but Landon looks bigger in his upper body than he used to. Thicker in the middle. Which probably isn’t good, in a soccer player, but he’s 27 now. He is no child. I imagine he’s stronger, but wouldn’t the added muscle slow him down a bit? Well, apparently not, because he blew by a Brazilian defender and stayed ahead of him all the way into the box. And Brazil does not play defenders who can’t run. Just not run as well as Landon.

Along the way, Landon knocked the ball forward and into space for Charlie Davies, the only other American in the play, and Davies ran onto it ahead of the guy chasing him (Lucio, I believe) … and carried it a touch or two past the top of the box … before knocking it back over to Landon, about 18 yards out. The ball came in a bit hot, so rather than try to volley it, Donovan deadened it with his right foot, and it popped to his left. He stepped around the Brazil defender (Andre Santos, I think) and switched to his left foot and banged it diagonally across the box — and past the diving Julio Cesar and inside the far post.

It happened in, what, maybe six seconds? The whole thing, from Clark to Landon to Davies to Landon … and into the net. Stunning display of speed and nice ballhandling in the open field, a clinical finish.

Then the U.S. began digging in, and made it work until the half.

The match turned in the first minute of the second half when Maicon, a right back left to roam up the wing at his leisure, put one of his nice crosses at the feet of Fabiano, at the top of the box. The only U.S. defender anywhere near him was Jay DeMerit, but DeMerit was right there. However, Fabiano, who plays for Sevilla for a reason, pivoted instantly and let fly a strong shot with his left foot. It went through the legs of DeMerit and to the left of Tim Howard, inside the far post.

That made it 2-1, and somebody at ESPN should have cued up dum-de-dum-dum style, something-dire-about-to-happen Dragnet music.

The Yanks seemed to regain their equilibrium for a bit, and caught a huge break in the 60th minute when a header by Kaka was in the goal but was knocked out by Howard, and the Swedish officiating crew missed it. Should have been tied right there.

But by the 70th minute the Yanks were exhausted and fissures were yawning in their defense, and their luck was about to run out. The rope-a-dope tactics of laying back and counterattacking require more energy than it might seem, particularly against a team as quick and strong as Brazil, and one that is running at you and making you sprint play … after play … after play.

In the 74th minute, Kaka (Real Madrid) ran past Spector on Brazil’s left, turned the corner and got a cross in — a ball Spector would have blocked, a half-hour before. It flew across the goal mouth to Robinho (Manchester City), at the far post, and his shot banged off the cross bar, which was to be the last U.S. break of the game. The ball landed on the other side of goal, where Fabiano (Sevilla) was hanging out, and before Oguchi Onyewu or Carlos Bocanegra could react, Fabiano authoritatively headed it inside the post.

(I’m referring to the Brazilians’ club teams to give you a sense of how good they are. None of those teams employ U.S. national team members.)

2-2. And if this gets to a shootout, it’s a miracle.

It didn’t. Brazil just kept coming. Donovan later described it on ESPN as “waves” … and it generated all kinds of restarts in the attacking end, not to mention 10 corner kicks.  Elano, who plays at Manchester City (with Robinho), took the corner in the 85th minute and knocked it to the back post, and a little deep, but not so deep that Lucio (Bayern Munich) couldn’t head it sharply, and it tore into the goal. Now it’s 3-2.

The U.S. had nothing left, but there were a few brave attempts at coming forward, but Brazil mostly held the ball, knocked it around and it ended after three minutes of extra time.

So. What Does This Mean?

Some will dismiss the entire exercise. “Confederations Cup? Who cares. Bogus tournament.” Well, maybe. Sepp Blatter invented the thing about 20 years ago, and it hasn’t always gotten much attention. But this one did because it was played in South Africa, a year ahead of SA hosting the 2010 World Cup …and because it included three heavyweight teams — Brazil, Spain and Italy, ranked 5-1-4. As well as at least two decent teams, the U.S. and Egypt, and the hosts, and you never know what hosts can pull off. (Fourth place, it turned out.) Plus, all those teams sent their First XI, or something very close to it.

And consider this. When it was over, Lucio was crying tears of joy …  and Clint Dempsey was crying tears of disappointment. You don’t fake that sort of emotion. Both teams wanted this. A lot. The U.S., sure, because the Yanks never have won any sort of FIFA international competition. But Brazil too, even with those five World Cups. So that was no mere bauble of a trophy they were competing for. Brazil played hard and earned the victory.

Now, the bigger picture, for the Yanks.

It was a wild two weeks. First came the 3-1 and 3-0 embarrassments vs. Italy and Brazil.  Playing short in both games. That is when the U.S. team was trashed by soccer media large and small. Alexi Lalas suggested this group of American players were lacking in heart and character. He said the U.S. was playing with boys, not men, and I’m not sure criticism gets much harsher than that.

We wrote, here, that the U.S. just wasn’t good enough. That you could tinker with lineups, but if the talent isn’t there, what are you going to do? I stick with that analysis, because Italy and Brazil are better than the U.S. and probably always will be. Well, in our lifetimes, anyway.

Then came the turnaround. The U.S. can hang with teams like Egypt (even though it had beaten Italy 1-0), and when Egypt showed up fat-headed and lazy, the Americans drilled them 3-0 and, improbably, advanced into the semis because Brazil crushed Italy 3-0 to line up the tiebreakers just right for the Yanks.

The Big One: U.S. 2, world No. 1-ranked Spain 0. The Spain that was unbeaten in 35 matches, had won 15 consecutive, hadn’t lost since November of 2006 and hadn’t lost to a non-Euro side since Argentina in 1999.

That one was a victory for U.S. gumption and tactics, and we have to credit the players for the former and Bob Bradley for the latter. Bradley resurrected the 4-4-2 counterattack lineup the U.S. has used to great effect against Mexico, and Spain wasted itself in constant but ineffectual attacking, while the Yanks struck back quickly for goals by Jose Altidore and Dempsey. An enormous victory that got the world’s attention, because there is no other soccer going on right now and people from all over the planet tuned in to watch the elegant Spaniards — and saw the Americans beat them.

Then the fright the Yanks gave Brazil.

Whether or not the U.S. really deserves it, your average global soccer fan probably considers the U.S. solidly in the second-tier of powers, in the group right after Those Who Always Contend for the World Cup. (That is, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Italy and a handful of others.) Which might be a bit high, but who are we to argue with them?

So, five matches in 14 days. Two heavy defeats, two clear victories, one come-from-ahead defeat to Brazil.

In all, a great learning experience for the collective that is the U.S. team. They got a nice long look at South Africa. And after a year of playing friendlies against half-hearted opposition and qualifying matches against the Little People of CONCACAF, this was a tough tournament against opposition stronger than the U.S. will get in the first round of the real World Cup, next year (Italy and Brazil will not be in the same group as the Yanks), and at the end the Americans 1) discovered a style of play that will work against many teams, 2) found a lineup that may actually generate some results in South Africa 2010, with Ricardo Clark and Michael Bradley (missed badly on Sunday) in the middle of the park, Dempsey and Donovan on the wings, Altidore and Davies up top, Onyewu and DeMerit in the middle of the defense and Carlos Bocanegra on the left (the everlasting hole in the U.S. lineup) and Spector at right back. With Benny Feilhaber off the bench.

With Brian Ching, Frankie Hejduk and Steve Cherundolo in reserve, once they get over their injuries.

The competition, the intensity of the tournament, the comeback from the dead, the victory over Spain, the brilliance of the first half against Brazil. There is something going on again in U.S. soccer, and it’s been a long while since we could sat that with any certainty.