Christian Pulisic’s goal gives USMNT a historic 1-1 tie against Brazil in final Copa América warmup game

In the wake of Saturday’s embarrassing 5-1 loss to Colombia on Saturday, the U.S. men’s soccer team badly needed to deliver a response in its next time on the field.

That’s easier said than done when the opponent is Brazil.

But the Americans did in fact respond, and did so in impressive fashion. Christian Pulisic’s 26th-minute free kick matched Rodrygo’s 17th-minute opener, and the U.S. battled its way from there to a 1-1 tie before 60,016 fans in Orlando.

It’s just the second time in 20 matchups against the five-time World Cup champions that the U.S. hasn’t lost.

Goalkeeper Matt Turner also played a big role, making 11 saves — one more than Kasey Keller made when the U.S. notched its only win in the series, back in 1998. Brazil had won 11 straight since then, the longest unbeaten streak of any U.S. opponent (and it’s still going).

» READ MORE: Alarm bells were ringing around the USMNT after its embarrassing loss to Colombia

U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter made two changes to the starting lineup from Saturday, Yunus Musah for Johnny Cardoso in midfield and Ricardo Pepi for Folarin Balogun at striker.

That produced concerns that the midfield wouldn’t have enough defense and might get overrun by Brazil’s superstar attacking trio of Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, and Barcelona’s Raphinha.

In fact, the first half was the opposite. The U.S. played with far more hustle and bite than it did against Colombia. Not all of it showed up in the box score, but the eye test said plenty about closing down the five-time World Cup champions.

There was entertainment at the other end, too. Musah ripped a shot off the crossbar from 30 yards in the fifth minute, and it bounced down inches from the goal line. Pulisic followed with a testing close-range hit in the sixth, and Tim Weah launched from 23 yards in the 12th, both right at Brazil and Liverpool veteran goalkeeper Alisson Becker.

» READ MORE: U.S. men’s soccer team crushed by Colombia, 5-1, in first warmup game for Copa América

Brazil’s opening goal came thanks in no small part to a rather lazy long ball by Turner. After Tim Ream passed back to him, Turner sent the ball long toward Weston McKennie in midfield, but Bruno Guimarães jumped to intercept it.

The rest just took two passes and six seconds: Guimarães’ header to Raphinha, a through ball to Rodrygo that cut the U.S. defense open, and the forward’s run and hit to Turner’s far post from 12 yards.

Pulisic’s equalizer was pretty, and it wasn’t a fluke. He earned the free kick with a cutting run that caused Jõao Gomes to take him down within an inch of the 18-yard box line.

The Hershey native has taken some heat from U.S. fans for not being great with free kick deliveries, and that’s been merited. This time, he was inch-perfect. He shot low toward a gap in Brazil’s defensive wall, the opponents jumped, and the ball went past everyone into the net.

Brazil made the only substitution by either team at halftime, Douglas Luiz entering for Gomes in central midfield.

The first headline of the second half was an unusual sight. Chris Richards was yellow-carded for tripping Rodrygo in the 51st minute, but a video review ensued. The tape showed Richards got the ball and rescinded the card and the foul as a whole.

That isn’t supposed to happen. Video reviews are only supposed to catch red card-worthy tackles after the fact and catch when a card should have been given to a different player. It isn’t supposed to overturn yellow cards.

» READ MORE: Is the USMNT playing in the Copa América a big deal? Christian Pulisic sure thinks so.

Berhalter made his first substitutions in the 65th minute, sending in Balogun and Cardoso for Pepi and Gio Reyna. It had to be a good feeling for Cardoso, who was born in North Jersey to Brazilian parents and moved to that country at three months old.

Brazil made a double-substitution at the same time, bringing in two of its young phenoms: 20-year-old Sávio for Raphinha, and 17-year-old soon-to-join-Real Madrid striker Endrick for Guimarães.

The game slowed down for a while after that, as both teams made their way in Florida’s summer swelter. Things sprung back to life in the 74th, when Turner made a nice point-blank save on Rodrygo.

Berhalter made another double-substitution in the 75th, sending in Medford’s Brenden Aaronson for Weah and Tyler Adams for Musah. It was Adams’ first national team action of the summer after he didn’t play vs. Colombia, as he isn’t at full strength right now and Berhalter wanted to limit his minutes.

Musah’s departure meant the U.S. midfield was Adams, Cardoso, and McKennie. That’s not much creativity, but that wasn’t about to be Berhalter’s concern in the moment. He knew he needed a result out of this game to show his team’s tenacity, and to get himself off the hot seat after a hailstorm of criticism in recent days.

Aaronson even came inches from scoring a winner in the 83rd, as the U.S. caught Brazil’s defense asleep off a throw-in. Antonee Robinson’s delivery surprisingly bounced to Pulisic on the end line, he laid the ball off for Aaronson, and Alisson charged off his line just in time to block Aaronson’s shot with his face.

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Brazil went looking for a winner by subbing in Gabriel Martinelli for Rodrygo in the 83rd. Berhalter made a swap at right back in the 85th, sending in Shaq Moore for Joe Scally.

Pulisic shot inches wide in the 86th, and Turner — someone else who needed redemption after Saturday — made his ninth save of the night in the 87th.

Turner kept coming up big in the five minutes of stoppage time, headlined by a leaping punch of a corner kick in the last seconds. Another corner kick ensued, and Turner stretched to block an open Vinicius on the goal line.

In the first of two Copa warm-up games that Subaru Park is hosting this week, Ecuador dominated Bolivia, 3-1.

Veteran striker Enner Valencia scored in the 17th minute, John Yeboah hit a terrific smash in the 24th, and Jordy Caicedo struck a penalty kick in the 70th, delighting a sparse but vocal pro-Ecuador crowd. Miguel Terceros got Bolivia’s consolation tally in the 87th.

Ecuador’s lineup had many familiar faces. San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Carlos Gruezo and former Los Angeles FC midfielder José Cifuentes started with Valencia, while Moisés Caicedo of England’s Chelseaand much-hyped 17-year-old Kendry Paez were second-half substitutes. Paez will join Chelsea next summer.

Bolivia will be the United States’ opening opponent in the Copa on June 23 in Arlington, Texas, then plays Uruguay and Panama. Ecuador’s group includes Venezuela, Jamaica, and Mexico.

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