FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Neymar scored twice after entering at the start of the second half, Rafinha got his first international goal and Brazil routed the United States 4-1 Tuesday night in the Americans’ last game before meeting Mexico next month in a playoff for a 2017 Confederations Cup berth.
Hulk scored in the ninth minute for Brazil, which opened a 4-0 lead before Danny Williams scored from about 30 yards in injury time. Brazil is 17-1 against the U.S., winning 10 in a row.
With Fabian Johnson and DaMarcus Beasley sidelined by injuries, the American defense was overmatched. Left back Tim Ream was outmaneuvered in the run-up to the first and third goals, right back Geoff Cameron conceded a penalty kick for the second, and central defenders Michael Orozco and Ventura Alvarado gave the five-time world champions time and space.
U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann will face questions about his team’s shaky form heading into the Oct. 10 match against Mexico at the Rose Bowl. He started Alejandro Bedoya in a defensive midfield role as part of a 4-2-3-1 formation, then replaced him with Williams in the 36th minute.
Brazil went ahead when Willian dribbled around Bedoya and got a cross past Ream. The ball went over goalkeeper Brad Guzan and rebounded off the far post to Hulk. He took a touch with his left foot, played the ball back to his right and sent an 8-yard shot over goalkeeper Brad Guzan’s left shoulder for his 12th international goal.
Neymar doubled the lead in the 51st minute after he took a long pass from David Luiz and fell over when his feet got tangled with Cameron’s, earning a penalty from Salvadoran referee Joel Aguilar.
Rafinha entered in the 64th in his second international appearance and scored almost immediately, taking a pass from Lucas and using three quick touches to get Ream to lean the wrong way. Rafinha then slotted past Guzan.
Neymar got his 46th goal in 67 international appearances in the 67th minute when the defense gave him space following a feed from Lucas.
NOTES: The U.S. opens World Cup qualifying at St. Louis on Nov. 13 against St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which beat Aruba on 3-2 aggregate despite a 2-1 road loss Tuesday night. The group also includes Trinidad and Tobago and either El Salvador or Antigua and Barbuda, who played later Tuesday. … American defender Jonathan Spector entered in the 73rd minute for his first national team appearance since February 2012.
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