The United States face a tough test at the Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts on Tuesday, with Brazil arriving to play their first match in the United States in over three years. It may only be a friendly, but the USMNT will doubtless be hoping for a solid performance, with Jürgen Klinsmann’s outfit still smarting after their poor Gold Cup showing earlier in the summer. A 2-1 win over Peru earlier in in the international break will dampen criticism, but certainly not indefinitely.
USA vs. Brazil 2015: Time, TV schedule and team news
The United States will look to end a run of nine straight defeats to Brazil when they meet in Massachusetts on Tuesday.
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Brazil too have something to prove, with Dunga’s side having failed miserably to live up to expectations in the Copa América. They were beaten in their first knockout game by relative minnows Paraguay, in what was their new coach’s first major tournament since returning to the post. They saw off Costa Rica 1-0 on the weekend, though the United States could well prove to be a tougher test.
When they last met
These sides last met at the FedEx Field in Maryland back in 2012, when Brazil crushed a very different United States, 4-1. Neymar turned in a man of the match performance, and proceeded to rack up two assists after opening the scoring from the penalty spot. Thiago Silva netted the second after 26 minutes, before Herculez Gomez dragged the USMNT back into the game on the stroke of halftime. Alas, Marcelo quickly dampened their hopes by netting Brazil's third within eight minutes of the restart, before turning provider for Alexandre Pato minutes before the final whistle.
Key player: Neymar (Brazil)
Brazil captain Neymar surprisingly only featured off the bench in their narrow friendly win over Costa Rica on the weekend, and promptly hit out at his omission. If he doesn’t play against the USMNT, it’ll probably be more due to bad blood than tactics, as the Barcelona attacker is undoubtedly his nation’s top talent. With Neymar offering an unparalleled attacking threat both out wide and through the middle, Dunga can ill-afford to allow his ego to dictate team selection.
Match Date/Time: Tuesday, 8 p.m. ET/local
Venue: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts, United States
TV: ESPN2 (U.S. - English), Univision Deportes USA, UniMás (U.S. - Spanish)
Online: Watch ESPN (U.S.)
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