1-0 World Cup Loss to Brazil Ends U.S. Hopes
Playing on the Fourth of July, and with a one-man advantage for much of the game, the United States seemed to have everything going for it in its bid for another historic soccer upset Monday--except for one thing.
Its opponent was Brazil, a three-time World Cup champion and the favorite to win this one.
At Stanford Stadium in front of a lively holiday crowd of 84,147 who dueled throughout the game with chants of “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!” and “Brazil! Brazil!” the United States held fast until 16 minutes from the finish, when the Brazilians broke through with the only goal they needed to advance to the quarterfinals next Saturday in Dallas against the Netherlands. The defeat eliminated the United States from further World Cup play.
Afterward, Brazil Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said that his team, despite the closeness of a 1-0 score, was clearly dominant.
“The winners are always right,” U.S. Coach Bora Milutinovic said.
But Milutinovic also said that he was proud of his team, a winner in the first round over another South American power, Colombia, and the first from the United States to advance to the World Cup’s second round since 1930.
“I’m sad that we haven’t been able to go forward (to the next round),” he said. “At the same time, I’m happy because of the effort my players put forth in this World Cup. I’d like to thank my players for doing something truly spectacular.”
Milutinovic, who became known as a miracle worker among soccer coaches for the results he had in previous World Cups with Mexico and Costa Rica, devised a game plan Monday that made it extremely difficult for even a team as gifted as Brazil to score, deploying as many as nine men on defense at times.
While the United States made virtually no effort to penetrate Brazil’s half of the field, the Brazilians were repelled time after time. But they continued to attack even while playing one man short for almost half the game. A defender, Leonardo, was banished with a red card one minute before halftime for slinging an elbow that connected with U.S. midfielder Tab Ramos’ head. Ramos, who suffered a bone fracture above his left ear, had to be replaced.
Just as it appeared that Milutinovic’s goal of a scoreless draw that would send the game into overtime might materialize, Brazil’s incomparable forward combination of Bebeto and Romario clicked. Drawing the defense toward him with a run down the middle of the field, Romario pushed off a pass into the right side of the penalty area to an open Bebeto, who scored.
“Just one ball went in,” Romario said, “but, with a little more luck, two or three others could have too.”
The United States, which was playing in only its second World Cup since 1950 and was winless in its most recent effort four years ago in Italy, could argue that, with a little more luck going its way, it could have stunned the soccer world for the second time in 12 days. As it is, it will have to be satisfied with the progress it has made.
“Four years ago when we left Italy, if anybody would have said that the U.S. team would make it to the round of 16, play Brazil and scare the living daylights out of a team that everybody acknowledges is the best in the world, they would have been considered absolutely crazy,” U.S. Soccer Federation President Alan Rothenberg said. “But that’s exactly what we did.”
* RELATED STORIES: C1, C4-C8
