The U.S. and Brazil men’s national teams have clashed 18 times dating back to their first meeting in 1930. Brazil has won 17 of those. The USMNT vs Brazil 1998 match was the lone outlier, a wild win in a fairly major competition.
The USMNT vs. Brazil matchup on Friday will be the 19th time the two titans clash. Although the U.S. has only won one match and lost 17 against the Sambas so far, New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium is moments away from witnessing one of the most historic New World soccer spectacles — and I’m not referring to Neymar flopping about like a fish.
Jermaine Jones officially hung up his boots on Friday, announcing his retirement via Instagram. The German-born midfielder made 69 appearances and scored four times for the USMNT, including one of the greatest World Cup goals ever scored by an American.
When 18-year-old phenom Timothy Weah takes the pitch on Friday for the USMNT’s headline friendly against Brazil at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, it’s likely that he’ll see three of his Paris Saint-Germain club teammates opposing him. With 90 caps to his name, Neymar is the most experienced of Brazil’s PSG bunch, but Thiago Silva (who’ll captain the side) isn’t far behind on 76, and defender Marquinhos has already represented the Seleção 27 times at the tender age of 24.
Interim USMNT manager Dave Sarachan has named his 24-man roster for upcoming friendlies against Brazil (Sept. 7) and Mexico (Sept. 11), including 14 players age 23 and under. Christian Pulisic is the big name absentee after the winger suffered an injury while training with Borussia Dortmund, while 25-year-old New York Red Bulls defender Aaron Long is the only uncapped player in the squad.
One of the greatest soccer players the United States has ever produced called it quits on Wednesday. Clint Dempsey, the joint record holder for most goals in U.S. Men's National Team history, announced he was retiring from soccer, effective immediately.
Christian Pulisic has yet to lace up for the new season and Americans in the Bundesliga are already scoring goals in the German top division. Two USMNT defenders found the back of the net on the first full day of Bundesliga action on Saturday. (Bayern Munich opened the season with a 3-1 win over Hoffenheim on Friday.)
John Brooks, the lanky Wolfsburg center back, headed in a corner kick for the first goal in a big 2-1 win over Schalke.
How fast is Christian Pulisic? The 19-year-old American is usually deployed on the right flank by club side Borussia Dortmund — although he enjoys a more central role when playing with the USMNT — so he’s certainly no slouch when it comes to pace. However, what makes him such a precocious talent is that he’s no one-trick pony — he doesn’t only rely on his blistering speed to create chances and take defenders on.
According to The Sunday Times, a quality British broadsheet that usually doesn’t mess around, David Moyes is now a leading candidate to become USMNT manager. This is obviously just world-class banter from our friends across the pond, right?
Brazil is coming to America for a couple friendlies in September, including an anticipated matchup against the United States in New Jersey. The Brazil vs USMNT roster is stacked and includes PSG’s Neymar.
Brazil’s first match since falling to Belgium in the quarterfinals of the 2018 World Cup will take place on Sept. 7 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Four days later, Brazil plays El Salvador at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.