A few minutes ago marked the end of 90 minutes of the resurgence of Brazilian futbol as we know it: stylish, fast and very very entertaining.  Long gone are the days of Dunga's defensive and conservative minded Brazil that we saw in South Africa.  Tonight we saw a very new and fresh squad that seems to be a rough draft of the team that will take the stage in their home country in 2014.  If so, I will begin putting my pennies into my piggy bank because I am going to Brazil to witness this kind of futbol.

Talking Points of the match:

The U.S. came out very aggressively in the first half with Landon Donovan having a formidable chance at goal in the 3rd minute.  After this, the U.S. seemed to slow down and lost a great deal of composure.   I expected a lot more from a full U.S. squad that has collectively more experience than the entire Brazilian squad.  Michael Bradley was the best player in white, but seemed to have no support pushing forward.

A young Brazilian squad looking to impress on a massive stage put on quite the show.  Let's talk a little bit about the 'fro-haux'd-haired skinny kid named Neymar.  He was, undoubtedly, the star of today's match for me and I am excited to watch him again.  At 18yrs of age he showed a great deal of confidence on the ball and worked the U.S. defense like it was practice. It was a lot of fun to watch.  At first I thought, "here goes another pelada-wielding kid with nothing else to show" and then boom, the 'fro-haux puts the ball past Tim Howard's post.   But the build up was sublime. classic Brazil. classic Joga Bonito.

Jozy Altidore....what were you doing????? For someone with his size and speed I expected him to be much more dangerous and daunting against a Brazilian side whose heaviest player is probably 160lbs (20lbs of that being pure fat in the stomach. *cough* Robinho *cough*).  He looked very nervous and uncomfortable on the ball.  Add to that he sat in one position with his hands extended calling for a pass instead of giving the attacker an option by making a run into open territory.  He's young I guess, so he has time to develop.

Ederson pulls his hamstring on his first touch on the ball trying to dribble into the sideline. pure comedy.

All in all, it was a fun game to watch, and the 70k+ fans in attendance shows that futbol is really picking up some serious steam in the 'States, which is good.  Hopefully the increased interest will see us get better commentators who actually talk about the game being played and not how awesome every player is when he does something he is expected to do (when Gomez gets into the box for the header).  'Til later folks! Live Breathe Futbol.

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In 14 hours and 15 minutes the US Men's National Team will take on Ghana in the Round of 16. If you remember the 2006 World Cup, Ghana defeated the United States 2-1 and the US will be seeking revenge tomorrow. This is a very different US squad from four years ago. I will be expecting a phenomenal game because the stakes are high and there is a bit of history there.

Who will you be rooting for?

I'm a bit torn. I've lived in the United States for the past decade even though I am West African. And since Ghana is the only African side to advance to the knockout stages I feel a sense of responsibility in supporting the Black Stars in the first World Cup on African soil. Who are you guys rolling with?

Sentiment and emotions aside, I have been more impressed by the US' showing thus far in the World Cup. Ghana has scored only two goals so far, both of which have been penalties. However, I certainly am not counting them out because they are a strong defensive side and have shown some attacking flair even though they have not particularly finished well.

X- Factor

It goes without saying but Landon Donovan must be on his game and be the leader he has become if the U.S. are to win this. Though he is still young, Jozy Altidore's size and strength is a huge bonus up top for the US and they ought to capitalize on it.

For the Black Stars Asamoah Gyan has to score goals. Not a penalty, but a legitimate product of a well orchestrated attack. Also, Kevin-Prince Boateng has to shine. He is new in the squad, but extremely confident on the ball and he brings creativity to the midfield.

My prediction? The U.S. wins 2-1. Whats yours?

Twitter: @LiveBrtheFutbol