by Jamie Trecker

Comment

Up 2-0 against a confused-looking Brazil side, the Americans were displaying the acumen and grit they showed in their midweek upset of No. 1 ranked Spain. Fans were daring to believe that after all this time, and after so much heartbreak, this might finally be the U.S.'s moment to shine.

And so the final score was excruciating — 3-2 Brazil, with the golden boys showing how they got that nickname, and why they are among the best on the planet.

With intense pressure in the second half, they took the U.S. out of the game, and snatched away the Confederations Cup crown. For Brazil, it was its third crown and second straight.

For the U.S., it was its best-ever finish in a FIFA senior tournament.

It was harsh because the Americans seemed to be in control at halftime, disappointing because once again the Americans failed to protect a lead, and deeply troubling because the U.S. coaching staff will be called again into question for a series of substitutions that some fans will feel cost them the match.

As goalscorer Clint Dempsey says, champions don't make excuses. However, I am not Mr. Dempsey, and I will, for once, offer up an excuse for this American side which all too frequently has attempted to explain away otherwise inexplicable performances. This time, the Americans were valiant, and played a great game. But they were undone by the simple fact that Brazil is a better team.

The scoreboard may not lie, but it also overlooks the fact that this American team — in ruins just over a week ago — managed to come together in unexpected, spectacular fashion. This loss must not be allowed to undo that.

Let's also celebrate what the Americans did well. Landon Donovan has been the man of the tournament for the U.S., orchestrating the attack and rebounding on defense at a level few thought possible after his well-publicized flameouts abroad as a youngster. He is clearly the most intuitive player on the field for the Americans, and it is appearing more and more foolish that he is not getting an opportunity to hone his skills abroad.

Dempsey, who scored his third goal in three straight games, is also showing his class after being mired in a deep funk. Endlessly creative, he only lacks a partner up top he can parry with, and it is clear that when he gets service, he can make a huge difference.

Jay DeMerit, Jonathan Spector and Charlie Davies have also come away looking like winners. Davies has been a real force up top, and DeMerit has been so brave and composed that one wonders why he hasn't been a starter all along. Paired with Oguchi Onyewu, he forms the best tandem the U.S. has ever had in the middle of the defense. And Spector, finally healthy, displayed his class tonight with the thankless job of marking Kaka, and a series of defensive moves in emergency.

Dejected U.S. defender Jay DeMerit leaves the field after being defeated by Brazil. (FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT / Getty Images)

Still, what was a second-half collapse — and in any other American sport, giving up a two-goal lead would be called that — owed as much to world-level inexperience as to the real gulf in skill.

From the restart, Brazil decided it would do the things it had avoided strenuously in the first half — knocking the ball around, shifting the focus of attack, and playing the possession game which is so difficult to disrupt. Immediately, the U.S. was on the defensive, losing shape and finding no way to break the waves of pressure.

Luis Fabiano's goal in the 46th minute, built off a deadly turn past DeMerit's frantic late lunge, signaled that the Brazilians wanted to compete, but it was the relentless, vicious attacks that signaled that the U.S. would eventually fall.

What happened?

The U.S., which was playing an effective counter-and-shield, was unable to marshal the same force. In the first half, Donovan and Davies were able to collect the ball and spark attacks. That was because DeMerit and Onyewu were compact, and Spector was given room to roam.

That dissolved after the half, with the center-halves being pulled wide, allowing Luis Fabiano and Kaka to combine with Robinho to start piecing apart the gut, forcing Tim Howard to make save after save. Remarkably, Brazil was teeing off on the American goal at a rate of a shot on frame every two minutes. No team can withstand that.

Let's address the subs, which, in hindsight will be parsed and second-guessed ad nauseum. Sacha Kljestan has shown he is not the answer in midfield, as he gave the ball away repeatedly and of the 11, displayed a disconcerting lack of confidence. Who else was there for Bradley to choose?

Jose Francisco Torres and Freddy Adu, of course, but neither of these men had played a minute in the tournament so far, and it's hard to argue that a small, young man who remains on the bench at his club deserves a shot in the biggest game to date.

That said, Adu will be the man fans point to as a man unfairly excluded, and Sunday's display by Kljestan — on the heels of an awful red card against Brazil the first time around — offered no compelling reason for him to be out there. Of course, had Michael Bradley not been shown a questionable red card in the semifinal and been available Sunday, both Kljestan and Adu would have been spectators and none of this would be discussed.

Conor Casey, subbed in late for Ricardo Clark, also showed little this tournament. He was a popular choice given his performance in MLS this season, but he is not fit for this level. Given the chances Taylor Twellman got, he might be one day. But seeing as he didn't even get a sniff at the Gold Cup, one has to feel this was his chance to shine, and he failed to make the most of it.

Last but not least, it's hard to excuse Jonathan Bornstein, if not in this match, then overall. He is not an international back, and he was not a good swap for Benny Feilhaber, who once again displayed a grit and desire at the international level that seems to elude him at his club(s).

Nonetheless, a performance with heart against a great team is no shame. And, for a few precious moments, it looked like the Americans had finally arrived.

To get to the next level, the U.S. is going to have to figure out how to beat these teams. That's going to require lessons in strategy and composure that the current coaching staff might not be able to provide. True, no one would have thought the U.S. would have been here in the first place. Yet, it would be nice to have a team that didn't need columnists to make their excuses for them.

It all comes down to the score, and Sunday, the U.S. fell short. But the Americans fell short with honor and with every reason to believe that — for whatever reason — an 11 may have been found in the ashes of two bitter defeats that began this tournament so poorly.

Jamie Trecker's newest book, "Love and Blood: At the World Cup with the Footballers, Fans and Freaks" is out now from Harcourt. Jamie is assisted by Jerry and Janice Trecker. Contact Jamie at jamie.trecker@gmail.com and visit his blog and website at www.jamietrecker.com.