Brazil Wins 2-0 Over United States Admist Speculation Surrounding Bob Bradley’s Future

Bob Bradley will have to try hard to find the positive from tonight’s match, but if this is his final match and he does not have to, it will be a goodbye he will want to overlook.

The United States had some positive moments early but were dominated over the final 70 minutes of the match, with three struck posts and some poor finishing keeping the score 2-0, Brazil,

Beyond scoring the opening goal,18-year-old attacker Neymar showed the New Jersey crowded why he has already become a favorite in Brazil. In return for his staring performance Tuesday night, the large swaths of Brazilians in the New Meadowlands crowd applauded the forward off-the-pitch when Ederson replaced him in the 72nd minute.

Unfortunately for Ederson, he had to be subbed-off two minutes later with an apparent left hamstring injury. This was the Lyon player’s international debut. He was replaced by Carlos Eduardo.

Pachuca striker Herculez Gomez has come on as Bob Bradley’s final substitute, replacing Alejandro Bedoya.

Brazil has also made a chance, their second, bringing on André for his first cap. He replaces Alejandro Pato.

To help the cause, Bob Bradley has used his fourth and fifth (of six) substitutions, bringing in Robbie Findley and Clarence Goodson for Landon Donovan and Carlos Bocanegra.

Brazil has made their first move, bringing on midfielder Hernanes for Ramires.

Bob Bradley has made three changes to start the second half in East Rutherford against Brazil.

Jozy Altidore is on for Edson Buddle, Benny Feilhaber has been replaced by Sacha Kljestan, while Brad Guzan is in goal for Tim Howard.

Another attacker who was left off the Brazil World Cup team has scored at the New Meadowlands, with quick passes from Paulo Henrique Ganso to Ramires to Alexandre Pato seeing the AC Milan starlet go around Tim Howard for an open net goal.

Pato was put behind a high U.S. line and was able to dribble-in on Howard from 25-yards out. When the ’keeper came out to meet him, Pato had time and room to easily move to his right, leave Howard behind, and shoot into an unprotected goal.

Santos’s Neymar was one of the Braziian futebol public’s choices to be taken to South Africa, so the young attacker’s goal tonight will give fans recourse for his omission.

In the 29th minute against the United States, Neymar headed an André Santos cross down and across goal from 15 yards out, putting Brazil up 1-0.

Just moments away from kick-off in East Rutherford, here are the starting line-ups for the United States and Brazil:

United States: Howard – Bornstein, Bocanegra, Gonzalez, Spector – Bedoya, Bradley, Edu, Feilhaber – Donovan, Buddle

Also looking for debuts are 11 uncapped Brazilians named to Menezes’ experimental squad. Having taken a veteran team to South Africa (nobody under 23), Brazil must undertake sweeping changes prior to hosting the World Cup in 2014. Tonight’s the start of that process, with prominent prospects Neymar, Paulo Henrique Ganso, and Rafael looking to make their first appearance. They’ll join the likes of Alexandre Pato, Dani Alves, and Robinho in tonight’s team, which retains only four players who went to South Africa.

Despite the presence of most of the team’s regulars, the United States’ star may be on the sideline, with Bob Bradley having been prominently linked with the Aston Villa job in the wake of Martin O’Neill’s surprise Monday resignation. Bradley’s contract with the USMNT runs out in December, and while the federation continues to assess the national team’s future Bradley has expressed interest in coaching in Europe. If there is merit to the speculation linking Bradley with Villa Park, tonight could be Bradley’s goodbye with the national team.