By Brian Trusdell

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey - A young Brazilian side scored a pair of first-half goals and beat the United States for the 15th time in 16 tries on Tuesday, winning 2-0 before a crowd of 77,223 at the New Meadolwands Stadium.

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The Americans, who started nine players from its World Cup side and two with three caps or fewer - including international debutante Omar Gonzalez, had the better of play early.

But the Brazilians, who used only three World Cup veterans and four international debutantes in its starting 11, began to exert control by the ninth minute and essentially pinned the United States on its own side for much of the rest of the half.

Neymar, one of 11 uncapped players selected for the 23-man roster by manager Mano Menezes - also making his debut since replacing Dunga - scored in the 28th, and Alexandre Pato added another in first-half injury time to put Brazil ahead 2-0 at the break.

"This is the basis for the early stage," Menezes said explaining how he plans to build toward the next World Cup. "The sequence will determine what we keep and what we change. One match is not enough to take all the conclusions with such a small sample. We have to be patient and I'm confident that in time we will see the players corresponding to what we request."

The match was the second soccer game at the $1.6 billion New Meadowlands Stadium which opened earlier this year and replaced Giants Stadium, used as a venue for the 1994 World Cup. The new facility, which primarily will be used for American football, is among 18 stadia included in the U.S. bid to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.

The crowd was the fourth largest to watch a game in the United States this year, trailing Mexico-New Zealand (90,526) and the Los Angeles Galaxy-Real Madrid (89, 134) both at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and Mexico-Ecuador (77,507), which was the other soccer game at the Meadowlands Stadium in May. It was the first game for both teams since being eliminated in the knockout rounds of the World Cup.

U.S. manager Bob Bradley, whose contract expires at the end of the year and is in negotiations with the U.S. Soccer Federation about possibly extending his time as coach, said like Menezes the match represented the start of new World Cup cycle, including the preparation for next year's Gold Cup.

"A game like tonight is already beginning that process," Bradley said. "Once the World Cup is over, the schedule, the friendlies, those are the things that happen at the beginning of a new cycle with the idea that the Gold Cup is important and is a good test, the first test of the new cycle."

The Americans looked sharp early with Landon Donovan getting sent in alone on Brazilian keeper Victor, only to be knocked off the ball by central defender Thiago Silva before he could get off a clean shot.

Benny Feilhaber shot wide from distance a minute later, but it was mostly Brazil after that.

"For the first 20-25 minutes, they were putting the ball long, putting it over the top and we were collecting it. We kind of had them bottled up right where we wanted them," U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard said. "It's hard to say what happened. I think it was easy for them to find their rhythm in the game, and once they do that, it's very difficult to get back on top."

The Brazilians, eliminated by the eventual runner-up Netherlands in the quarterfinals at the World Cup, were able to get down both wings freely including on Neymar's goal.

Andre Santos was sent down the left side behind Bedoya and his first-time cross curled to just outside the six-yard-line, where Neymar ran in, outleapt Jonathan Bornstein and headed past a flat-footed Howard.

Brazil doubled its advantage 32 seconds into injury time when Ramires sent a ball behind the U.S. defense where Pato ran unmarked, rounded Howard and scored into an open net.

Brazil controlled most of the second half as well, hitting the post twice. The Americans, who used six substitutions, had their best moment on a bending right-footed shot by second-half substitute Sacha Kljestan in the 57th that curled inside the far post but was voided by Michael Bradley being offside.

"Brazil's one of those sides that's always going to create chances," center midfielder Maurice Edu said. "Giving up two goals in the first half, that kind of made the second half more difficult for us. I thought the first half we started off well, but then they got that goal off the cross and the header and that kind of changed the dynamics of the game a little bit."

The result was the eighth straight victory by Brazil over the United States, which had its only win in the 80-year history between the two teams at the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup.