U.S. Team Wins Even While Losing : Soccer: Brazil prevails, 1-0, in America Cup but Americans make huge strides.

For the U.S. soccer players, it was like being trapped in a pinball machine.

They ran and ran and ran, but the Brazilians were always one step ahead, flashing the ball from player to player in a bewildering series of patterns.

The shots flew in from all angles. Some went inches wide. Some were high. And some were saved, often brilliantly, by U.S. goalkeeper Brad Friedel.

But in the end the result was never in doubt.

The fact that Thursday’s America Cup semifinal in Maldonado, Uruguay, ended only 1-0 in Brazil’s favor is testimony to how far the Americans have come since they lost by the same score to Brazil at Palo Alto in last summer’s World Cup.

Unlike its overly defensive approach in that game, the U.S. team this time carried the fight to its opponent. The Americans used the counterattack whenever possible and, when the final whistle sounded, they still were fighting for the tying goal.

The Brazilians, with their single names and multiple skills, will play Uruguay in Montevideo on Sunday for the championship. The United States will play Colombia on Saturday for third place.

The game’s only goal came in the 13th minute, the result of a momentary lapse by the U.S. defense.

Referee Alfredo Rodas of Ecuador ruled that U.S. winger Cobi Jones had fouled Roberto Carlos at the edge of the penalty area to the left of the net and awarded Brazil a free kick.

The ball was curled into the goal mouth by Juninho, Friedel moved a shade too late to intercept it and Aldair, running in unchallenged by the American defenders, headed it into the empty net.

Steve Sampson, the U.S. coach waiting to have the “interim” tag removed, had warned that Juninho was a player to beware.

“They have a player, No. 10, Juninho, he must be like 21 years old, a real young-looking player, who is extremely talented,” Sampson said. “He basically is their playmaker and has complete freedom in midfield.

“The thing is, if you give these guys too much space and time, they can do wonders with the ball. They can be very explosive against us and get behind us quite easily. So we have to make sure that defensively we are compact and then, once we win the ball, we have to be very forward-minded.”

The United States did attack whenever possible but seldom found a way to give striker Eric Wynalda the ball in a truly dangerous position. Brazil made good use of the offside trap, and the closest the Americans came to scoring was when defender Alexi Lalas headed a cross from Wynalda powerfully toward the net, only to see it blocked by Aldair.

The Americans were not pleased with the result.

“We’re upset, really upset,” Friedel said. “We felt we had a chance. You feel sick to your stomach coming off the field. England played this same team [this summer] in Wembley and lost, 3-1. We lost here, 1-0. That tells you everything.”

There was one incident that had no impact on the game, but is worthy of note. Defender Leandro, whose crudely thrown elbow fractured the skull of U.S. midfielder Tab Ramos in the July 4 game last year, was carried off on a stretcher.

Somewhere along the line, unnoticed by the referee or linesmen, he had been tackled in enthusiastic fashion and came up clutching his ankle in agony.

That was the only negative for Brazil, which extended its unbeaten streak to 25 games dating from late 1993.

For the United States, whether it finishes third or fourth, the America Cup has been a huge success.

“I think we’ve proven that we can play at this level,” Sampson said.