USA vs. Brazil: Live coverage and score updates

This was still a bad loss and bad performance by the USMNT, but hey, that’s a spectacular goal from a guy who doesn’t score very often. Props to Williams.

The USMNT is preparing for a Confederations Cup playoff against Mexico, which takes place next month at the Rose Bowl. In their first friendly of this international break, the Americans struggled in the first half of their game against Peru, but put together a much improved second-half performance to pull out a 2-1 win.

Neymar and Kaka are the headline names in the Brazil team, but there are some notable absences. Oscar, Dani Alves and Thiago Silva have all been left off the squad.

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.

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.