U.S. Secure Friendly Draw Against Brazil On Christian Pulisic Free Kick

The United States men’s national soccer team bounced back from a shocking 5-1 loss to Colombia with a gritty 1-1 draw in a friendly against Brazil Wednesday. Christian Pulisic equalized with free kick goal in the 26th minute and neither team could gain an advantage from that point on.

The U.S. team’s loss to Colombia on Saturday ahead of the Copa America tournament set off alarms for a weary American fanbase. Though the United States has improved since failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, the team is still in the process of finding its identity.

But through Pulisic and goalkeeper Matt Turner, who made 12 saves against Brazil, players seemed to recover well in a solid showing. USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter said that he was encouraged to see the team take the loss to Colombia as a wake-up call.

“We talked to the guys before the game and we just asked two things of them, we asked for teamwork and intensity,” Berhalter said. “And the way we framed it is that they are two things that are totally in their control. Right? It doesn’t matter about the opponent. It doesn’t matter about the field or fans or anything. Those are two things that they can control. And that’s the type of effort that we saw today.”

The United States are not a serious contender in the upcoming Copa America, as teams like Argentina and Brazil are expected to outclass their local rivals. Still, Pulisic’s playmaking ability gives the team a fighting chance against the very best, as he demonstrated when the U.S. advanced to the knockout stage in the 2022 World Cup.

“It’s such an exciting time for our team and for our country,” Pulisic said. “It’s hard not to look forward too much, but we want to show this country that we can compete with the best. And we have the opportunity to do that. We’re going to try to go as far as we can.”