Starting lineups: USA ---------------------------Buddle------------------------- Feilhaber----------------Donovan----------------Bedoya ---------------Bradley----------------Edu------------------- Bornstein-------Bocanegra-------Gonzalez-------Spector ---------------------------Howard--------------------------- BRAZIL -------------------------Pato----------------------------- Neymar---------------Ganso----------------------Robinho -----------------Ramires----------Lucas------------------- Andre Santos---Thiago---------David Luiz----Dani Alves -----------------------------Victor-----------------------------
I'm shocked to see Gonzalez get a start. He's certain to be motivated as this is his first cap and his first chance to make himself a starting centerback for the 2012 Gold Cup and WC Qualifying. Brazil goes with the lineup that had been reported over the past couple of days. I'm looking forward to seeing what Bedoya can do, as well as Gonzalez. Very much a USA crowd based on the national anthems. Great to see for a change as that sort of thing is rare, even in the US.
Landon Donovan in the center is also unusual at this level. He usually ends up there, but starts from the left, typically. Bedoya is a true winger which gives the US some unusual options. I'm hoping to see Altidore get on the end of some crosses if he gets in with Bedoya.
2 - Buddle and Donovan are looking good together early. Donovan was sent in after a give and go and ended up in the box. He was clipped from behind but stayed up. He lost the ball weakly to the keeper and called for the penalty. You hate to say it, but if he goes down, he gets a penalty. Since he stayed up, Brazil played it out for a corner.
9 - A long kick works its way to Donovan in the box who shields off the ball and nearly hits Feilhaber in stride for a shot on goal. Ball bounces harmlessly away. Brazil works a quick counter up for Pato and Gonzalez gets his first action. A bit unsteady at the start, but ended up with Pato and getting him off balance and the shot went weakly wide.
Lots of chances early for both sides. Looks like Brazil isn't trying much through the center of midfield, lots of respect for Bradley and Edu defensively. There's a bit more Brazilian harassment when they're on the ball, as to be expected. The Brazilian attack is running on a lot of instinct it seems as Neymar, Robinho, and Ganso all play together at Santos and are playing behind Pato today.
20 - Andre Santos gets the first shot on goal for Brazil. Santos came up from left back to get a shot off in the box. Easily saved by Howard who had good position and the shot showed why Santos is at leftback and not further up the pitch.
26 - Neymar and Bedoya collided. Didn't see what happened and Neymar is hugging the line and staying out of view, but the commentators are saying he's limping a bit. And while I'm typing, some good possession ends up with Neymar bending a looping shot in from outside the 18. Not much on it and no one following up made for a comfortable Howard save.
28 - NEYMAR GOAL Andre Santos overlaps with Robinho. Santos cross is right on Neymar's forehead and in, back across the goal. Bornstein was being Bornstein and got caught on the wrong side of Neymar. Either Bocanegra or Gonzalez was out of the picture, which didn't help matters out at all.
32 - Controversy here. Pato gets on the end of a cross from Robinho. The ball was to Pato's feet and Howard had the save under control, until Pato continued his run and shoved Howard down and the ball went in. Clear foul, but it took a while to get the call out. The linesman had it all the way, but the ref took his time calling it. Brazil was celebrating when Howard was sending the ball back in play.
37 - Brazil finally works through the middle and ends up with a strong shot on Howard. Save was fairly easy and he sent a rebound over the oncoming Brazilians and out of the box. 38 - Neymar and Pato nearly both played in, but the off-side trap was successful, despite the best efforts of Jonathan Spector to screw it up.
39 - Donovan is playing in more of a central midfield position now. Buddle is kinda chillin' by himself like the pitch was a Panera in the Northern Jersey area. Donovan springs a counter attack and plays a terrific ball wide to Bedoya after drawing in the defense. Bedoya shows the difference between the US and Brazil as he takes a brief vacation on the ball, despite having time and space to send a cross in early. David Luiz intervenes, resulting in a corner.
42 - Neymar is having considerable issues. He was down a moment ago after the Donovan attack adjusting his boots. Then he walked off the pitch to get attended to by the trainers. It appears they replaced his sock and washed his foot. He then limped back onto the pitch. I don't think we'll see more than the opening 45 from Neymar. 43 - Neymar with a run on the ball from outside the box on Howard's left and ends up taking a shot on goal from the right side of the posts. Howard makes the save comfortably, but it was a good display by Neymar who ran a give and go and had some nifty dribbling to get space.
45+1 - PATO GOAL Pato beats the defense as the US makes no effort to close down. Ganso had so much space on the ball it appeared for a moment that he forgot he wasn't alone. He found Ramires, who caught a look from Bocanegra, but nothing else. Ramires finds Pato who easily slipped in between the flat-footed Gonzalez and Bocanegra. Weak stuff from the US.
