Amanda Gutierres scored in stoppage time and Brazil defeated the United States 2-1 on Tuesday night for the team’s first victory over the Americans since 2014.
The teams were playing each other for the first time since the United States of America defeated Brazil 1-0 in the gold medal match at the Olympics in July of last year. This was the second of two friendly matches between the teams. Just 34 seconds into the match, Catarina Macario gave the United States the lead. Alyssa Thompson was tackled after a surging run from the left, and Macario pounced on the loose ball before ramming it past Brazil goalkeeper Natascha, who was making just her fourth start. With it, Macario had netted the nation’s tenth goal. Kerolin’s goal from a distance in the 24th minute brought Brazil level. The United States of America had only conceded nine goals since Emma Hayes took over as coach in May. Gutierres scored in the final minute after receiving a cross from Luany after coming off the bench in the second half. It was the first time a Conmebol team had defeated the Americans in the United States. Since December 2014, Brazil has not defeated the Americans. “I feel like we had a lot of opportunities that we could have put away in the first half,” Thompson stated. I believe that we lost the game in the second half. In the second half, we needed to get more control of the ball and kind of take the momentum away from them.”
McGlynn was making her third appearance for the national team. As she evaluates goalkeepers following the retirement of Alyssa Naeher, Hayes started Phallon Tullis-Joyce in the first match against Brazil. According to McGlynn, “We just kept Brazil hanging in it,” and “obviously” with an extremely passionate team, “they take it all the way.” “I think we could have been a little more front-footed through the second half.”
Trinity Rodman, who scored in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium, did not dress for the match at PayPal Park in San Jose after recovering from a back injury. Rodman was a member of the team’s formidable front trio, known as “Triple Espresso,” at the Olympics. Sophia Smith, who now goes by her married name Wilson, is on maternity leave and Mallory Swanson is not with the team for personal reasons.
Alyssa and Gisele Thompson began together for the second time. Since Sam and Kristie Mewis left for the United States in July 2021, they are the first sisters to do so. From Saturday’s match, Hayes made seven lineup adjustments. The US starters made an average of 17.9 appearances for the national team, which was the most for any starting group in 24 years. Two of their last three games have ended in defeat for the United States. The Americans also lost to Japan in the SheBelieves Cup final at the end of February. They play China in their next two matches on June 3 and May 31 in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the other.
