The US bounced again from their 5-1 defeat to Colombia to earn a morale-boosting 1-1 draw with Brazil of their closing warm-up sport earlier than the Copa America on Wednesday. US skipper Christian Pulisic’s rasping first half free-kick ensured a share of the spoils for Gregg Berhalter’s aspect after Brazil had taken the lead by way of Actual Madrid striker Rodrygo at Orlando’s Tenting World Stadium. Berhalter, who confronted calls to resign after watching his staff get dismantled by Colombia on Saturday, had challenged his gamers to ship an improved efficiency towards the five-time World Cup winners.
Berhalter’s males responded with a dogged show that made them nicely price their first ever draw towards Brazil after 18 defeats in 19 earlier conferences.
US Goalkeeper Matt Turner was the hero for the hosts, pulling off a string of superb saves to maintain Brazil at bay.
On the different finish, Brazil keeper Alisson twice denied what might need been profitable objectives for the US late within the sport, saving from Pulisic and Brenden Aaronson in fast succession.
“It is clearly an enormous bounce again efficiency for us from the opposite day,” Turner stated, citing the Colombia rout. “I feel what we did at the moment can form of put that to mattress.”
Turner stated the consequence augured nicely for the USA’s Copa America marketing campaign, the place the People face Bolivia, Panama and Uruguay within the first spherical, and will presumably face Brazil once more within the quarter-finals.
“I feel the large constructive from at the moment is to take like a triumph from it,” Turner stated. “We actually stared into the face of adversity and had been in a position to bounce again just a few days later.
“In event play, that is so, so vital, as a result of not each consequence, not each name is gonna go your manner and you’ve got to have the ability to put issues behind you progress on and put the following foot in entrance of the opposite.”
An entertaining first half noticed Turner frustrate Brazil early on because the South People carved out a string of openings.
But Brazil’s early stress lastly paid off after 17 minutes, when a poor goalkick by Turner handed possession to Brazil deep inside US territory and Raphinha picked out Rodrygo who took one contact to manage earlier than drilling a low end into the underside nook.
US will not wilt
At that stage Brazil appeared poised to overrun the US, and American followers got extra nervous moments when Raphinha curled a shot over the bar earlier than Rodrygo went in on purpose solely to be denied by Turner once more.
But the US refused to wilt and on 24 minutes Pulisic accelerated into house on the sting of the Brazil space earlier than being fouled by Joao Gomes to win a free-kick in a harmful place.
Pulisic duly took full benefit from the set-piece, driving a venomous low strike into the underside nook to make it 1-1.
An end-to-end second half noticed Brazil proceed to threaten, but it was the US who got here closest to breaking the impasse.
A counter-attack culminated with Weston McKennie selecting out Pulisic in house inside the realm, just for the US captain to purpose his shot too near Alisson, who reflexively dived to his left to cease a sure purpose.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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