Brazil wins; tourney prizes go to Howard, Dempsey

MINUTE 87: The hulking Conor Casey in, Ricardo Clark out in the last sub for the US team. Onyewu just missed, high, on a shot at equalizing.

MINUTE 85: Lucio corner kick from Alano. Brazil celebrating. Brazil 3, US 2. Three unanswered goals from Brazil, and not much time left for the US squad. Will the US put in a third striker?

MINUTE 74: Substitutions. Out for US team: Altidore, Feilhaber. In: Sacha Kljestan and Jonathan Bornstein.

MINUTE 73: Luis Fabiano equalized. Brazil 2, US 2.

MINUTE 70: Save of the game. Fabiano one on one with Howard, who smothered a low shot. Less than 20 minutes left in regulation.

MINUTE 69: Lucio yellow-carded. The Brazilian captain was pushing Altidore after the play.

MINUTE 66: Andres Santos out, Danny Alves in. Alves is the starting right back for Barcelona, came in on minute 88 of the game against South Africa, scored on free kick in next minute of the South Africa game.

MINUTE 60: Kaka header came thisclose to scoring, hit the post. From one angle on instant replay, hate to say it, look like it crossed the line. Jury out on the entire ball crossing the line, which is key point. Brazil, fierce out the posts, is totally dominating second half so far. Still, US 2, Brazil 1.

MINUTE 57: Another scare for US. Lucio was unmarked, came extremely close to scoring on a corner kick before excellent save by Howard. Jonathan Spector is playing tremendous defense for US.

MINUTE 45: Luis Fabiano's amazing turn and left-footed kick a minute in the second half makes this a helluva lot closer. Tim Howard's dive to left post not enough. US 2, Brazil 1.

FIRST-HALF SUMMARY: Surprising, is the way ESPN calls it. An early goal by Clint Dempsey, his third of the tournament. A terrific two-man run from Charlie Davies and Landon Donovan led to a spendid left-footer by Donavan. And a key deflection from captain Carlos Bocanegra stopped Brazil's last-minute threat in the first half, which also featured several incredible stops by US keeper Tim Howard. US 2, Brazil 0. Just 45 minutes to go.
Win or lose, a prediction: Highest TV ratings in America ever for a US men's national game.

MINUTE 35: Andres Santos yellow-carded for tripping Jozy Altidore, who had beaten him on a turn and was advancing on Brazil's goal.

MINUTE 33: I'll say this once. Andres Santos should have scored on a point-black, left-footed rocket to the US goal. Tim Howard, somehow, stopped it.

MINUTE 27: Landon Donovan fakes out a defender on a one-on-one after pass from Charlie Davies, left kick to lower left of goal. Scores! United States 2, Brazil 0.

MINUTE 25: Brazil's Felipe Melo yellow-carded after a great Howard save. US captain, Carlos Bocanegra, yellow-carded in covering Kaka.

MINUTE 21: Fast, fast game. Tempo as steady as the monotone coming from the horns in the stands in South Africa.

MINUTE 10: It's Clint! Dempsey gets off a finessed, measured one-timer on a cross by Jonathan Spector. Dempsey's kick goes low left in goal. Brazilian keeper Julio Cesar didn't have a chance. Score! US 1, Brazil 0.

MINUTE 6: Robinho corner kick to Kaka, clean header before the goal, missed high, wide left. Scoreless, but with strong Brazil pressure at the start.

AND WE'RE OFF: US in white, Brazil in yellow. Clint Dempsey gets the first shot on goal. Many players are wearing gloves. It's 50 degrees at the start of this nighttime game.

JUST BEFORE GAME: How cool: Just before gametime, ESPN plays an interview with Clint Dempsey, reflecting on growing up poor and representing those he grew up playing with in Texas. ESPN announcers, as expected, say the keys of the game will be tenacious and intense US keeper Tim Howard and Brazilian Kaka, who has torn up Italy's Serie A before his move this fall to Spain's La Liga.

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PREGAME LINEUPS:

Here's the lineup for the Men's National Team, according to US Soccer:
Keeper -- Tim Howard
Defenders: Jonathan Spector, Jay DeMerit, Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra (c)
Midfielders: Clint Dempsey, Benny Feilhaber, Ricardo Clark, Landon Donovan
Forwards: Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies

Brazil:
Keeper: Julio Cesar
Defenders: Maicon, Lucio (c), Luisao, Andre Santos
Midfielders: Ramires, Felipe Melo, Gilberto Silva
Forwards: Kaka, Luis Fabiano, Robinho

Notes:
--Feilhaber is replacing the red-carded Michael Bradley. Feilhaber's mom is Brazilian.
--The US squad is playing a 4-4-2, while Brazil
--Looks like Bocanegro will have his hands full with Maicon and Kaka, the recently minted Real Madrid transfer.

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PREGAME REPORT: Bracing for one of its biggest matches in decades, the underdog US soccer team takes on five-time World Cup champions Brazil this afternoon in a game that is getting unusual marquee treatment at home.

ESPN is broadcasting the matchup from South Africa, and we'll be live blogging as well. ESPN, which also broadcast a thrilling match for third place between Spain and the host country earlier today, has rolled out a series of features as the American squad has surprised the world by making it to the finals. (Here's a touching look at US keeper Tim Howard).

ESPN has an interest in promoting Howard, Revolution alum Clint Dempsey, and Jonathan Spector. They play for the sublime English Premier League, and ESPN acquired the rights to broadcast 46 EPL matches this fall.

Today's Americans face high odds. The match marks the first time a US men's national squad has made it to a FIFA final, and America only has been Brazil once in 14 tries, and that was in 1998. The Yanks also are playing without key midfielder Michael Bradley, who got a red card in the final minutes of the stunning US upset of top-ranked Spain on Wednesday.

"There's no promise that we'll ever get back to a final like this, so we've got to try to take advantage of it,'' said US forward and team captain Landon Donovan. "If we lose we lose, but we're going to give everything we have."

Readers, where are you watching the game?