Lucio points to the sky after his late winner for Brazil. He clearly doesn't know that God is dead.It would be easy for a US fan to feel deflated by such a tough loss. But there were positives to this game, including one of the best halves the US has ever played.
Had the US been successful, Bob Bradley would have (rightly) taken to clogging the midfield against every strong opponent. However, Brazil's second half taught us that even with the aerial strength of the US defense they can't afford to leave their flanks unprotected. Jonathan Spector was isolated against good dribblers far too often.
Moreover, while the counterattack often works well when the US are leading narrowly, they need to learn how to slow the game down when necessary and keep possession. Against Spain things tended to break the US's way, but allow any team as many opportunites and time on the ball as Brazil got and they will hurt you.
What's more, the US has a less of a target on their back than had they won. I fear that a victory could have become a false dawn, a high water mark which the US would struggle to match at the World Cup. However, after this result the US retains its status as an underdog on the rise-- a position that I rather like. It was a respectable loss, and neutrals will appreciate that US made it a good game.
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