Following a 1-5 defeat against Colombia, the United States Men’s National Team has one final warmup before the 2024 Copa América. Providing a challenge to Gregg Berhalter and company is none other than Brazil in the second Allstate Continental Clásico. The nine-time CONMEBOL champions, while replete with a squad of talented players, are far from the dominant foe of years past. The match is scheduled for Orlando, Florida’s Camping World Stadium, a 65,000-seat venue with a top-of-the-line AstroTurf RootZone 3D3 Trionic Blend 60 surface. This will be the 20th all-time meeting between the two nations, with the USMNT holding a 1-18-0 record, the lone victory coming at the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Ranked fifth internationally by FIFA, Brazil is at a concerning sixth place in CONMEBOL’s World Cup qualifying bracket with a 2-3-1 record, enduring a three-match losing streak and standing a mere two points above the playoff spot. The Seleção enjoyed promising friendly results to open the year with a win over England, a draw against Spain, and a recent victory over Mexico that required a goal in injury time. Dorival Júnior was appointed to the manager role last January, replacing Fernando Diniz. He expressed an obligation to return the program to former glory with great games and reliability that inspires many around the world, noting that the current difficult moment can be reversed quickly.
Júnior named a 26-player roster for the pair of friendlies and the Copa América; the group initially included 23 talents before a further three were added following a squad limit increase by CONMEBOL. Arriving on equal terms to compete and fight for a starting role, the selections were made based on purely technical decisions with a desire for multiple protagonists to help the team grow, improve, and strengthen. European clubs are home to 22 of the call-ups, while a further four are on the books in the domestic Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. There are several notable absences due to injuries and other reasons.
Intending to deploy the first-choice group against the USMNT, Júnior utilizes 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, and 4-3-1-2 formations with a short-passing build-up that starts from the goalkeeper. Due to his adaptable nature, the manager has displayed various tactical constructs over the years, but stout defensive set-ups are a constant. In friendlies, Brazil ceded control to opponents with a compact unit in front of goal and looked to break out into the counter-attack.
The projected Brazil Starting XI consists of Alisson, Bento, Rafael, Danilo, Éder Militão, Marquinhos, Wendell, Yan Couto, Gabriel Magalhães, Guilherme Arana, Lucas Beraldo, Bruno Guimarães, Lucas Paquetá, João Gomes, Douglas Luiz, Andreas Pereira, Éderson, Vinícius Júnior, Endrick, Rodrygo, Raphinha, Sávio, Evanilson, Gabriel Martinelli, and Pepê.
With both teams preparing for the upcoming Copa América, the matchup between the United States and Brazil promises to be an intriguing contest with a lot at stake for both sides.
