When Brazil takes the field on Tuesday night for its first match since a disappointing quarterfinal elimination at the 2010 World Cup, new head coach Mano Menezes will be fielding a young team with an eye toward building a squad for the 2014 World Cup, which will be held in Brazil.
Standing across the field from Brazil at the New Meadowlands Stadium won’t be a new-look U.S. national team, but rather a squad that should look very much like the same team that saw its exciting, unforgettable and, in some ways, disappointing World Cup run end just six weeks ago. It should feature several of the same starters and will be led by the same coach, Bob Bradley.
So what does Tuesday night’s friendly mean for the United States if it isn’t a chance to see a fresh start, or an eye toward the future? The match was supposed to be, at least in part, a chance for American fans to give their team a rousing welcome and Thank You for an exciting World Cup, but the fact that this match is so soon after the World Cup, and Bob Bradley’s future is still in question, makes the USA-Brazil friendly feel more like a referendum on the uncertainty of the future of American soccer.
Truth be told, Brazil probably had more reason to feel disappointed following the 2010 World Cup, but the promise provided by a young and talented roster makes this match feel more like an encouraging step toward progress.
For the United States, there is no such feeling about Tuesday‘s match. The friendly should provide a good test for the current American team — Brazil’s squad is young, but loaded with some of the most sought-after young talent in Europe — but is a test really that vital for the United States right now, a month after the World Cup and with a head coach who may not be around the next time the Americans play in October?
Yes, there is still some doubt about whether Bob Bradley will be around. With fresh speculation linking Bradley to the recently-vacated Aston Villa job, and with U.S. Soccer still not having offered a new contract for beyond 2010, Bradley is no lock to be coaching in October, when the United States is expected to face Poland and possibly Colombia in friendlies.
So what does Tuesday’s friendly mean for the United States? If anything, the match could help show Americans that their team is better than they’re given credit for being by cynics who view the World Cup as a failure. This U.S. team doesn’t boast the big-ticket transfer targets that Brazil's roster does, but this squad has played together for the better part of two years and will have the edge in international experience against a Brazil side with just four players who played in the World Cup.
The match should provide a stage for American fans to express their gratitude to Landon Donovan for his stellar World Cup, and an opportunity for young standouts like Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore to match up against Brazil’s talented young stars.
Brazil didn’t bring along a plethora of recognizable names, but there is a ton of talent beyond veterans Robinho and Dani Alves. Teenagers Neymar and Paulo Ganso are two of the most exciting teenagers in South America, while Alexandre Pato is a standout striker who might have made the World Cup team if someone other than Dunga was manager. Defensively, Brazil should feature center backs Thiago Silva and David Luiz, defenders who are two of the most coveted centerbacks in Europe.
That list of incredible young talent is sure to frustrate American fans who were hoping to see some fresh faces on the U.S. team, but the fact remains that while Brazil boasts two or three levels of top-flight talent, the United States just doesn’t have that sort of depth. The small window for Tuesday’s match, which resulted in the U.S. team having just one day of light training together, kept Bradley from bringing in more inexperienced players beyond Alejandro Bedoya and Omar Gonzalez, but the harsh reality is that it would have been unfair to throw any other American prospects into this type of match against an opponent like Brazil.
No, American fans will have to wait a while before truly new faces are ready to take a step toward transforming the look of the national team. That may not come until next summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, or January at the earliest, when Bradley (or a new head coach) could call in some of the talented young players coming into their own in MLS for the traditional January national team camp.
For now, American fans will have Tuesday night to see most of the same team they cheered for in June, the same squad that thrilled them, gave them hope, delivered some unforgettable finishes, and broke some of their hearts. They will see a U.S. team that isn’t quite in transition.
At least not yet.
Ives Galarcep is a senior writer for FoxSoccer.com, covering the U.S. national team and Major League Soccer.
