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Home away from home Brazil edges U.S. 2-1 for another Rose Bowl win
Updated: Wednesday March 14, 2001 3:01 PM
PASADENA, Calif (AP) -- In general, Brazil's soccer team is successful wherever it plays. In particular, it is masterful at the Rose Bowl. Although Saturday's 2-1 victory over the United States didn't carry the importance of the Brazilians' last two trips to Pasadena, it was satisfying enough. The Americans didn't back down against the four-time world champions, but they also didn't have much of a home-field advantage, either. "It is always a great joy to play in the United States," said veteran forward Romario, the outstanding player in 1994, when Brazil won an unprecedented fourth World Cup -- beating Italy in a penalty kick shootout after beating Sweden in the semifinals, both at the Rose Bowl. "And it is a joy to play here at the Rose Bowl. It brings back great memories." This time, before a crowd of 45,387 that seemed split in its allegiance, the world's top-ranked soccer team got a 56th-minute goal from substitute Euller to win. Euller tapped the ball into an empty net after a superb pass by Roque Junior freed Silvinho in the penalty area. At the end line, Silvinho dribbled around goalkeeper Tony Meola and poked the ball in front, where Euller finished. "I would say it was more luck than anything skillful for me," Euller said. "The team made the play down the left side and I had only to touch it into an empty net." The United States, coming off an emotional victory over Mexico in a World Cup qualifying opener Wednesday, fielded a young, mostly MLS-based team. But the Americans weren't overmatched. "We're not stepping on the field to be a punching bag for Brazil," coach Bruce Arena said. "We're out there to compete." The U.S. squad nearly tied it in the 75th. Substitute Tony Sanneh's shot off a nice passing display was cleared off the goal line by Lucio -- the best defensive play of the generally wide-open game.
The Americans acquitted themselves well, but frittered away several other scoring chances by being indecisive, and fell to 1-9 vs. Brazil. "They pretty much learned what it is like to play against the big boys today," Arena said of his youngsters. "If we would have passed better, we would have been a lot more dangerous on the attack." Brazil also was tentative early, but began to organize its counterattack. And it paid off in the 25th minute. Ronaldinho was fouled just outside the penalty area by Richie Williams. The 20-year-old forward, one of Brazil's rising stars, struck a twisting free kick over the wall and beyond Meola's dive. "You can't see the ball until it comes over the wall, and it wasn't shot very hard or high," Meola said. "I got a hand on it, but not enough to knock it out." As the ball settled into the net to Meola's right, the thousands of fans dressed in Brazil's traditional gold and blue began waving flags and banging drums. "We try to play soccer that is pleasing to our fans and to the public in general," Romario said. Brazil continued to press and Meola was at his sharpest in making a hand save on Emerson Ferrira's close-range shot off a deflection. Then, with precision worthy of Brazil, the United States tied it. Chris Armas made a brilliant pass through the flatfooted Brazilian defense. Clint Mathis, of the MLS' MetroStars, ran onto it to the left of goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni and sent a right-footed shot into the far corner of the net in the 40th minute -- sparking a storm of confetti from the crowd. "I tried to keep it low and hard to the back post," said Mathis, who did just that. "The heavy grass helped slow it up. "We got a lot of experience today. Look at the players you are playing against. They are the top team in the world and we were able to compete with them. It says a lot about U.S. soccer." "I was very pleased with our effort today," said Arena. "It's been a great week for us, and it was capped off with a good game and good experience fore our players against Brazil. We played a bunch of young guys, so it's an invaluable experience for us and hopefully it will help us get better." Notes: The Americans nearly took the lead moments after their goal as Bobby Convey, at 17 the youngest player on the field, just missed wide on a left-footed shot. ... Brazil plays at Mexico in another exhibition Wednesday, then travels to Ecuador on March 27 in the South American qualifying tournament for the World Cup. ... The United States plays at Honduras in its second qualifier on March 28. Teams: United States - 1-Tony Meola, 2-Frankie Hejduk (22-Tony Sanneh, 61), 4-Greg Vanney, 23-Eddie Pope, 16-Carlos Llamosa, 5-Clint Mathis, 7-Bobby Convey (17-Chris Klein, 64), 14-Chris Armas, 21-Richie Williams (13-Cobi Jones, 61), 3-Landon Donovan, 15-Josh Wolff. Brazil - 1-Rogerio Ceni, 2-Cafu, 4-Roque Junior, 6-Silvinho, 3-Lucio, 5-Emerson, 8-Vampeta (18-Edilson, 46), 10-Juninho, 7-Ronaldinho (16-Richardinho, 46), 9-Christian (17-Euller, 46), 11-Romario. Referee: Felipe De Jesus (Mexico) Post-game quotesBRUCE ARENA, U.S. Men's National Team Head Coach OPENING COMMENTS ... "I thought that this was a good game today. We were a little undermanned, losing Jeff Agoos this morning to a viral infection and we had to move some players around. But I thought we played a pretty good first half, but fatigue set in. If we could have passed the ball a little better today, we could have given them a better game. Overall I'm very pleased with our effort. It's been a great week for us, and today it was capped off with a good game and good experience for our players. We played a bunch of young guys, so it is an invaluable experience for us and hopefully it will help us get better." "We had a lot of players who weren't available today. We sent about eight of European players home on Thursday. We had some guys injured and others not available because of club commitments, but that is no excuse. We put a competitive team on the field." ON THE SPARKLING PERFORMANCE FROM 17-YEAR-OLD BOBBY CONVEY: "He's a 17-year-old kid. I thought he played well against one of the best right backs in the world in Cafu, and I thought he held his own. Cafu is obviously a great player. I thought Bobby played well for his second international match." ON LANDON DONOVAN'S PERFORMANCE (one day before his 19th birthday): "I think Landon learned a little bit today what it is like to play against the big boys. He had a little bit of a tough afternoon, but at times he did well. Their center backs dominated him a little bit physically. He took a knock in the first half, but we couldn't take him out because we came into the game with only three reserves. He hung in there and for the most part did well. For players like he and Bobby Convey this a great experience." ON CLINT MATHIS (who scored the U.S. goal, just the second for the U.S. against Brazil across eight games and 70 years): "Mathis playing behind the two front runners did well. It told him at times I think he could have made some better decisions in running with the ball or distributing a little quicker. Overall it was a solid game, a good goal and certainly it has been a good week for Clint." ON WHAT THE YOUNG U.S. SQUAD LEARNED FROM THE MATCH: "I think playing a little quicker, getting in position a little sooner. Thinking faster. It is very simple, I told them after the game, if we could have passed a little better today we would have been a little more dangerous today. And passing is a component of players moving off the ball and players seeing things a little earlier. I think speed of play you learn in games like this. There aren't many better players in the world than the ones we faced today, and it was a good experience. ... We aren't stepping out on the field to be a punching bag for Brazil. We are here to compete and give them a hard game." ON THE SECOND BRAZILIAN GOAL: "Frankie got caught on the touchline there, and the ball got passed him. Wolff got caught tracking that player and Meola came out. I didn't have a great view from the bench, but Frankie being taken out of the play hurt us, and once he was eliminated it opened up a huge hole on the left side of the field and they took advantage it. And Tony came out and he has to either stand up the player or get a piece of the ball, so once he got the ball across the six-yard box we were in trouble." CLINT MATHIS, U.S. midfielder OPENING COMMENTS: "It was very enjoyable to come back to the Rose Bowl. I enjoyed my time here with the Galaxy and you couldn't ask to play a better team in coming back and getting a chance to play against Brazil." ON BEING ASKED TO DESCRIBE HIS GOAL: "Luck. I happened to get through on a pass from Armas. I looked up and saw the goalkeeper at the near post and tried to keep it low and hard to the back post, and I think the heavy grass helped me out a bit by slowing it up and it just tucked into the back post." "I took a couple of knocks and the legs got a little heavy after playing Mexico a couple of days ago. I definitely was getting tired toward the end of the second half." ON WHAT A PLAYER CAN LEARN PLAYING AGAINST BRAZIL: "You learn a lot about yourself. We played pretty well, and was a better game than some might have expected. You get a lot of experience from it. ... You look at some of the players you are playing against and know that they are playing for some of the top teams in the world. If you are able to get on the field and compete with them, it says a lot about yourself and how much the U.S. is progressing in soccer and that we can compete with the rest of the world."
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