US Making Up to Their Fans Brings Over
2018 World Cup Contenders
Taking advantage of the FIFA international window following the 2018 FIFA World Cup, US-
MNT is in an aggressive campaign of competing against the top teams in the world:
Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Peru
BRAZIL - The first
game was against one of the 32
Best that finished among the 8
Best in the World at Russia
2018, a Quarterfinalist and the
only nation to appear in all
World Cup: Brazil, the 5-time
world champion, third on FIFA
ranking, with their imitated but
never equalized soccer rhythmic
samba style. We can call them
the “Globetrotters” of soccer. It’s a delightful experience
just watching their plays, the easy they flow in the entire
field, placing the ball with their feet anywhere they please
like they’re using their hands.
US faced Brazil on September 7 th , at MetLife Sta-
dium in East Rutherford, N.J. USA for the 19 th time, with
the MNT now holding a 1-18-0. Brazil won 2x0. The USA's
lone victory came on the back of heroic performances from
Kasey Keller and Preki, a memorable 1-0 win in the 1998
Concacaf Gold Cup Semifinals.
MEXICO , one of the 32
Best in the World at Russia 2018
that made history twice: by defeat-
ing Germany, the defending cham-
pion, passing to the Round of 16,
and also having the only third play-
er
in the world, Rafael Marques, par-
ticipant in five consecutive World
Cups including 2018.
This rivalry duel was on Sept. 11 in Nashville,
Tenn. at Nissan Stadium in front of a sold out crowd of
40,190 spectators. US victory of 1x0 with a beautiful goal
by Tyler Adams, kept the long tradition of not losing to
Mexico in friendlies.
Though a heated rivalry on the field, this match
also brought together two of the nations that joined the
United Bid to return the FIFA World Cup to North America
in 2026. The game was in one of the WC 2026 Bid's 18
candidate cities. Currently home to United Soccer League
side Nashville SC, the Music City is set to join Major
League Soccer in 2020. Curious fact is that they already
have and introduced the CEO but
don’t have name, colors, crest, etc.
COLOMBIA , one of the 32 Best
in the World at Russia 2018 and
16 th -ranked, with players at some of
the top clubs around the world, they
are fast, physical and skillful. The
match was also within an interna-
tional fixture date, which makes all
players available for selection and
Colombia brought their best, most of the players that was
in Russia 2018. This game was on Oct. 11, 2018 begin-
ning at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
US learned a lot with this game. The final score of
Colombia victory of 4x2 is just numbers that don’t tell how
it happened. It started with Colombia waking up the score-
board 1x0 with a beautiful and skillful goal by James Ro-
driguez at minute 36 and they went happy to the locker-
room. Then very early in the second, only five mutes
played, Kellyn Acosta equalized with a timing, clever and
lethal sprint infiltration that fooled his mark and surprised
the goalkeeper. And only three minutes later Bobby Wood
put US ahead 2x1 with a great pass from Tim Weah.
US still savoring the last goal and Colombia tied
the game 2x2 just three minutes after with Santiago Arias
running and from the left of Steffen settle up Carlos Bacca
that didn’t miss the net. They kept battling and at minute
18 th Colombia break the tie with a goal from Radamel Fal-
cao complementing a serving from Juan Fernando
Quintero. And only five minutes apart the fourth goal
shakes Zack Steffen’s net. This time James Rodriguez
served Miguel Angel Borja that didn’t disappoint with his
bicycle kick. The remained 11 minutes of the game was
not enough for US to recuperate and downgrade this great
come from behind Colombia’s victory.
PERU is one of the 32 best in the world and
ranking in the FIFA Top 20. It’s the USMNT completion of
the series in US soil. The United States and Peru faced off
for the only third time since 2000. It happened at Pratt &
Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford,
Conn.
Peru called 16 players that were in Rus-
sia 2018 and the interesting part is that
Peru roster is notable for having four
players based in Major League Soccer,
with forwards Raúl Ruidíaz (Seattle
Sounders FC) and Yordy Reyna
(Vancouver Whitecaps FC) joining mid-
fielders Andy Polo (Portland Timbers)
and Yoshimar Yotún (Orlando City SC)
on the squad.
That’s a good experience for the US squad that
despite the moving game the first half ended 0x0. At only
four minutes into the second half, another 18-year-old
American Josh Sargent opened the score with a re-
hearsed play: Charging a foul committed against Amon,
Kellyn Acosta served Mrs. Ball in a platter to Sargent that
confident hit to the net putting US ahead 1x0.
Americans kept Peruvians suffering. Peru only started
dangerously taking sparks from Guzan’s three poles at
minute 70 th to finally tie the game at 86 th minute with a low
cross from Polo to an unmarked Edison Flores that sent
the sphere to the left post making 1x1.
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